The Scheming Mind of George Weasley and Company
by billys-green-soup
Summary: George has finally met a girl that makes him blush and stutter, but he has no idea what to do about it. With a few hairbrained schemes, halfbaked plans, and coniving friends, can he catch the attention of his one and only? chappy 22 up!
1. Scheme 1: Falling for you

**A/N**: Okay, yeah, I know I have a severe OC problem, but get over it. I think this one might actually get finished!! OMG!! This is my first heteroromance fic, so forgive my newness. Oo

**Disclaimer:** I wish I did, but I don't own any thing in this story. It sucks… Man, I wish I owned some PAPER that didn't SUCK though!

* * *

"I hate myself."

Ash and Allyssa looked in surprise to their best friend sitting on their right. Carmen was glaring at the pretty Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang.

"What?" Allyssa asked in surprise.

"I-hate-myself."

"Why?"

"I'm ugly and can't ride a broomstick."

Allyssa rolled her eyes. "We aren't doing this again. We do this every time Ravenclaw plays."

"WELL, you should've anticipated it before you made me come then, huh?" Carmen snapped viciously as she snatched her things and began to leave.

"LOOKOUT!" someone yelled.

Carmen wheeled around to see the bludger a foot from her face.

She screamed and tried too duck, but ended up flipping over the banister and out of the stands instead.

"Carmen!" Ash and Allyssa yelled, looking over the side, but they were drowned out by Carmen's screams as the ground grew nearer.

She hit something hard and soft at the same time and got the breath knocked out of her.

"Are you alright?" asked the red-headed beater.

Carmen gaped at him for a moment, then remembered to breath and sucked in too much air, making her cough.

"Uh…" she finally said after a moment.

The two were still flying, as the game had yet to finish.

"I'm George Weasley." He said.

"C-Carmen… Sh-"

"Carmen Shivers. I know." he said, grinning.

"You do?" she asked, surprised.

Panic, then amusement flickered across his face. "Yeah." He laughed.

"How?"

"He grinned down at her, then looked up and became serious again. "Think you can beat?" he asked urgently.

"I guess, but- Ah!" Carmen smacked the bludger away and it disappeared in the distance. She looked at the bat in her hand, wondering how it got there, but then looked up for the bludger to make sure it wasn't coming back at her. When she realized it was gone, she asked, "Oh, did I lose the thingy?"

"No, it's fine." He laughed.

Carmen looked up into the stands where her friends sat. Allyssa was gaping hopelessly, along with everyone else, and Ash was laughing hysterically.

"Hold on." George said, gripping her waist tighter.

She put her arm around him nervously. "Why-" The word was cut short with a scream as they shot foreword to smack a bludger away from Katie.

"Really, you can put me down now. It's really okay. Really."

He looked down at her, his expression unreadable.

Suddenly, the alarm went up. Gryffindor had caught the snitch.

As Carmen and George touched down, Carmen's legs buckled.

"Are you okay?" George asked.

"I-don't-fly," she said.

He pulled her up and held her to him. "You were a brilliant beater though."

"I was terrified! I thought I was gonna get a face full of bludger!"

George smiled softly. "I wouldn't have let you."

"Carmen! Carmen! Are you okay?"

"Did you really catch her? Wicked…"

Allyssa mentally noted how close George was holding Carmen, the careful placement of his hand on her hip, the fact that he'd barely looked up since they'd touched down.

"C'mon Carmen. You should probably see the nurse." Ash said.

"Okay."

"See you around, Carmen." George said, staring after her.

"He likes you," Allyssa whispered excitedly.

"What? No. He likes Angelina or something… I think…"

Allyssa glared at her. "No, he likes _you_," she insisted. "_Fred_ likes Angelina. He took her to the ball."

"Whatever. Have fun with your delusions," Carmen said, rolling her eyes as Madame Pomfrey did her check.

"I'm serious, Carmen! I know what I'm talking about!"

Ash hesitated as both of her friends looked at her for support. "Sorry, Carmen. He was pretty reluctant to let you go. What's wrong?"

Carmen stomped out. "You two are going to get my hopes up and then they're gonna crash and I'm gonna cry!"

"Carmen! Listen to us! He-"

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

"I wonder what they're arguing over." George wondered, leaning on his broom and watching Carmen and her friends leave.

"It worked. I can't believe it worked," Ginny said, standing behind him.

George grinned. "I told you."

"I can't believe I let you talk me into hitting a bludger at a girl," Fred grumbled angrily.

"Shut up," George replied, closing his eyes and remembering the perfectly confused look on her face when he knew her name. As far as he was concerned, Carmen was a dream given form, though she was probably by far the strangest girl, if not person, in the whole school.

She was the meanest, laziest Hufflepuff anyone had ever met.

Her friends, Allyssa and Ashley, were in Slytherin and Ravenclaw, also very strange. Allyssa was the nicest Slytherin of the house and Ashley didn't care much about her grades.

Though she didn't remember, Carmen had endeared herself to George the first day he had met her, when he'd found her in the library, bewitching the books to sing "Feliz Navidad" loudly when they were opened.

On Easter.

Since then, George had noticed her more and more often, and found himself wishing he knew what to say to her.

It was Hermione who had come up with the initial idea. Not on purpose, of course, though.

It had been a week beforehand and George had been going on, yet again, about Carmen and how he wished he knew how to go about talking to her.

He'd never been shy before, but Carmen seemed to make the words cling to his throat.

"Why don't you just attack her with a bludger and run in and rescue her!? She's _bound_ to notice that, isn't she!?" Hermione had snapped.

By the next day, Fred and he had worked out exactly what they would do.

Surprisingly enough, it had worked like a charm and George finally had his foot in the door.

* * *

"Carmen!"

She whipped around t the sound of her name, as did Ash and Allyssa.

"Yes?"

"Hey, Carmen," George said. "What do you have next?"

"A free period. Why?" she asked, smacking Allyssa, who had begun nudging her.

"Well, er- ahem, uh, er-"

"Carmen, did you do your, er-" Allyssa glanced at George warily, "uh, Advanced Potions homework?"

Carmen froze, her eyes wide. "Oh, crap! No. I'll catch you guys later. I've gotta go to the library." With that, she flew down the corridor.

George's features fell.

"You were supposed to offer to help, you dope!" Allyssa snapped, shoving George.

"Wh-what?"

"That's why I did that!"

"I- I don't think I understand…"

"What is there not to understand? You like Carmen, don't you?"

"Uh, wh- y- no. Why would you say that?"

Allyssa rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the confirmation."

George's face turned the color of his hair.

"Something sweet…" Allyssa said, tapping her chin, thoughtfully.

"What?" he asked.

"You need to do something sweet, but she doesn't really like flowers much. She loves candy, but she's not supposed to have it at school since the incident with the sugar rush in the dungeons."

"Are you trying to set us up?"

"Well, you're doing a crappy job, aren't you?"

"Llyss!" Ash scolded, laughing.

"Well, he is!"

"Wait! I've got it!"

* * *

A/N: don't forget that the soup apper-she-ate's reviews!! Let me know what you think. I don't neccisarilly appreciate flaes, but I will take constuctive criticism!

note- flames do NOT equal constructive criticism!


	2. Scheme 2: Blind Date

A/N Yeah, this would've been up a lot sooner, except I type really, really, really slooooooooow. Sorry aboot that. Oh, and there's a typo in here that I missed. It makes me really angry, but my laziness overpowers my anger. Mleh.

**Disclaimer: **Mlable schmark. (That's idiotese for "I don't own anything written by JK." If you understood it, get your IQ checked. Oo)

Carmen hated it when the post came. She hated birds, though she had an owl of her own.

"Plus, the fact that the only posts he ever got was replies from her parents, since, as they were smuggles, they had no owl of their own, depressed her.

So, when a large, stuffed panda (her favorite animal) hit her on the head and fell to the floor with a soft bounce, she turned to look at it, not touching it, surprised.

"What's that?" Ernie McMillan, a fifth year from her house asked.

"Looks like a planet, doesn't it?" she said sarcastically. That may have been the reason why she didn't have any friends in her house.

"Aren't you going to pick it up?" asked Elaina Marshall.

"No." Carmen said, turning back to her breakfast.

"Why?"

"What if it attacks me? It could be magic. It could turn on me and rip my face off."

"Pandas don't rip! Or bite!"

Carmen rolled her eyes. "I'm not arguing this again."

"Carmen! Is this yours?" Allyssa asked.

"Nope."

"What? I thought-"

"You sent it, didn't you? Weirdo."

"No, I saw it hit you on the head, you loser." She picked up the toy. "This _says_ it's yours."

"It's not."

"Carmen! Why are you doing this?"

Carmen shot her a glare. "It's probably some jerk playing a prank. I'm not taking it."

"Carmen Elizabeth Shivers!"

She sighed and snatched the toy. It was ridiculously soft and about the size of a Cocker Spaniel. Tucked into the large, black bow on its neck was a note.

She opened it carefully and read.

_Carmen, _

_I hope you like the bear. I'd love to ask you to Hogsmeade, but every time I intend to, my throat closes up. That's not very romantic, but it's true. I'd also love to ask you this in person, but it's so hard for me to talk to you when you turn your eyes on me. Again, the throat closing thing. If there was a way for us to meet with me seeing you, but not vice-versa._

_If you think this would be okay, meet me in the spare transfiguration room tonight at 6:15 during dinner. There will be a potion on the table to take you sight. I won't come until you've taken it. We will have dinner._

_All my love._

"You're so going." Allyssa said after reading over her shoulder. "We're going to make you cute too."

"Eh? No! I hate trying to be cute! Wait- No! I'm _not _going! What if it's some psy-"

"What if it's some really sweet guy who's too shy to talk to you?"

Carmen eyed her suspiciously. "You know."

"What?"

"You know who it is." Carmen accused. "Both of you. I can tell. How?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. But you are going and that is final."

"Where's Ash?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Do I really have to do this?" George asked as Ash tied his black tie.

He was wearing a black suit and tie with a plum shirt underneath.

"Yes. She's bound to touch you and she'll fell stupid if Allyssa made her dress up and you didn't."

George's face turned tomato red. Do you really think she's going to touch me?"

"Your face, hair, arms, hands, chest. She's going to try to find out who you are. I know her. Trust me."

The final adjustments had been made to the room. There was a table set for two with the chairs right beside each other with candles in the middle, and an array of food brought up from the kitchens, along with drinks and a victrola set up in the corner with slow, romantic jazz playing.

"Are you sure she's going to like all this?"

"Positive. Now go."

George disillusioned himself and stood in the corner, perfectly still, and waited.

"Good luck." Ash whispered as she put the vile on the table and snuck out through the door that jointed the class to the next.

Not a moment later, Carmen tentatively stepped into the room.

George sucked in his breath sharply.

She was wearing a strapless black dress with colorful, thin stripes running around her. It hung to her knees and the black, lace up heels made her legs seem even longer than usual.

His normally messy, dirty blonde hair had been brushed and hung around her shoulders neatly.

"Hello? Oh. My. This is _most definitely_ not the right room."

"Carmen Elizabeth!" Allyssa shouted, as Carmen had opened the door.

Carmen slammed the door and walked to the table, picked up the bottle, uncorked it, sniffed the contents, and drained it.

"Somebody better come out now!" she said with a shaky voice, throwing her arms out.

George rushed to her and put his hands on her waist. "I'm out," he muttered.

She gasped quietly. "Who are you? I recognize your voice. I know you, don't I?"

"Yes, you do." He slid his hands around her and pulled her closer.

"What year are you in?"

"Seventh he replied.

Carmen's hand went up, as predicted, to feel of his face and hair as the other explored his hands on her waist.

George nuzzled his face into her hand. "It's funny. I've wished for so long to be able to talk to you like this, but now you're here and listening and all I want to do is put my lips on yours," he whispered, putting his lips to her hand.

"Uh…"

"Are you hungry?" he asked quickly, leading her to the table. "Sit here."

Carmen sat carefully and he sat down next to her.

"Open," he said, touching a grape to her lips. He slid it into her mouth and brushed her lips lightly with his fingertips.

Slowly, they made it through dinner and dessert, George feeding Carmen.

"Who are you?" she asked desperately, putting her hands up to her face again. She wound her hand up into his hair.

George closed his eyes and resisted the urge to lean forward and kiss her.

Until she pulled. The hand woven into his hair was drawing him to her.

I an instant, George lost the willpower to hold back anymore and rushed forward, planting his lips on hers, his hands on her face, pulling it closer.

"Carmen," he sighed, trailing kisses down her neck and back up. He nibbled on her bottom lip gently and she gasped, unwittingly allowing him entry into her mouth.

He grinned through the kiss as he realized she wasn't responding because she didn't know how.

She pulled back. "I'm pretty sure that's not 'first date' type kissing!"

"Was that your first kiss?" he asked, smiling.

Carmen's face turned blood red. "This isn't fair! You can see me and I can't see you! Stop laughing! Was it really that bad?"

"No, it was lovely," he said, grinning.

"Your voice is so familiar," she sighed, suddenly troubled.

"I can't decide whether it's good or bad that you can't place it."

She crossed her arms and shifted her weight playfully. "Guess I'll just have to go kiss every guy I know taller than me until I find you, won't I?" she joked.

"Don't you dare!" he laughed.

"Can we do this again?" she asked earnestly.

George was taken aback. "Really? Even though you can't see me?" The other reason for his surprise was her sudden and drastic change in mood.

"Psh, I was kidding. I don't care. It just means that if I trip, I can blame it on my blindness. Then it isn't my fault. So ha."

He laughed. "Yes. We will do this again if it suits you."

"Good. It does," Carmen said, smiling. Then her mood changed again and her face was suddenly troubled.

"What?" he asked, surprised by yet another severe change in mood.

"What if you ask me out and I don't know it's you and I say no? Or someone else asks me out and I say yes and it's _not_ you? As if that would happen. But what if I'm mean to you? And you stop liking me? I'm gonna cry if I don't hear from you again! And how did you know what I like? How did you know my favorite animal? And my friends keep telling me that they think George Weasley likes me. I don't believe them, but whatever. What if he asks me out? I don't know if I could pick. I mean you're awesome and all, and you have my first kiss, but he's like, he's… I don't even know. He's just cool. And-"

"Don't worry about all that," he said, attempting to contain his joy. He tried to work an edge of jealousy into his voice. "What do you like so much about Weasley?"

She tinged pink. "Well, for one, he's got red hair. I love red hair. And what's cooler than a twin? And he's a beater. Beaters are so cool. Are you a beater?"

"Yes," he replied, before he could think better of it.

"Yay! And he saved me the other day! Did you _see_ it? At the quidditch game? And we flew around and it was cool. I suck at flying. I always fall off the broom. I think it's a balance thing. You see, I'm like a dodo bird on a tight rope. And he's in Gryffindor, which means he's brave and all. What house are you in?"

"Ah, ah, ah. I'm not telling."

"No fair."

"Is there anything else?"

"Well, he's really funny and stuff and he's not all rich and snobby like Malfoy and he doesn't mind mudbloods like me. And he's gotta be really smart, since he and Fred invented all that stuff. I don't think many people truly appreciate the genius behind doing that.-"

"Wait, wait. Did you just call yourself a mud blood?"

"Oh, yeah, I've numbed myself to the word. I figure, if people used it more as joke, it wouldn't be such a serious thing."

"Well, what about Fred Weasley? They're the same, right?" This time there was a real edge of jealousy and panic.

Carmen blushed further. "Oh. Well, he didn't save me, did he? Plus, well, I know they're twins and all, but I can tell the difference. George is just cuter. And I heard that Fred went to the ball with Angelina. I dunno, I just like George. Oh, but I like you too! But he just- Why am I telling you this?" she demanded, flushing.

George was smiling so profusely now that his face was beginning to hurt.

He leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly.

Her face fell. "Did I hurt your feelings?" she asked urgently.

"No, not a bit." He brought her hand up to his face. "See?"

She ran her hand up through his hair. "Your hair is like George's." she noted thoughtfully.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Good. Very good."

George smiled.

Carmen's hand found his collar. "What are you wearing?"

He hesitated. "A- A suit…"

"Oh, thank God. If Llyssa had made me dress up and you hadn't, I may have died."

He laughed again, then noticed his watch. Grudgingly, he said, "Carmen, this is great, but it's late. We need to get back to our houses."

Carmen stopped smiling. "Okay…"

"Here's the antidote," he said, pressing the vial into Carmen's hand. "Promise not to take it until you hear the door?"

"I promise," she said catatonically.

George kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

A/N FINALLY! I finished! I really wish I didn't suck at typing so much… now, just to wait for the time when my parents will let me on the internet…

Tacos for those who reviewed!


	3. Scheme 3: The End and The Beginning

A/N Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the pig!! WOOT!! When is it gonna be the year of the horse again!? I WANT IT TO BE MY YEAR!! Ah, well, whatever.

Here's a story for you, kids. Have fun, but don't get too excited. It _was _written by soup.

**Disclaimer:** I feel too lazy to write this. Go read the other disclaimers. Y'know, I probably could have wasted less time if I'd just said "I don't own most of this crap." Wait- I _just said it, didn't I?_ Dag…

True to her word, Carmen waited for the door to shut before draining the bottle. She squinted against the dim light of the candles and looked around.

He was most definitely not there.

She sighed, then jumped up and ran to the door, throwing it open and looking both ways down the hall for anyone in a suit.

The only people were a couple of Ravenclaw first years, a Gryffindor prefect, and the Weasley twins.

None of which were in a suit.

Carmen sighed and closed the door behind her, walking slowly down the hall.

Two arms were suddenly slung over her shoulders.

"Hi, Carmen."

"How's it been?"

"Mm," she replied listlessly.

"You look nice," Fred said.

"Thanks."

"Impeccable," George agreed.

Carmen tried to smile.

"What's the matter?" Fred asked.

"Girl stuff," she replied dryly.

"Ah, George is having girl problems, too."

"Fred!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's too nervous to do mush of anything when he's around the girl he fancies."

George was red. "I- I am not!"

"Who is it?" she asked innocently.

George turned even redder. "Uh, I, I, we, er…"

"It's alright, you don't _have _to tell me."

"I think he should."

"But he doesn't have to if he doesn't want to. Anyway, I have to be off. These shoes are killing me." Carmen waved to the two boys and trotted down the staircase.

"I can't believe it. She doesn't suspect a thing," Fred said, once in the safety of their dorm.

"You should've heard her. She really likes me. She told me."

"She looked really good in that dress," Fred said, grinning at his brother.

George shot him a glare, then softened. "She did, didn't she?" He smiled. "She said she couldn't choose between me and myself."

"And she didn't even put the voices together."

"I want to see her again. Now. I want to kiss her again. She's a good kisser."

"You're bias. How're you going to do it this time?"

It was three days before Carmen heard form her whatever-he-was again.

The three girls decided he needed a name and, for lack of a better one, called him Joe.

"Three days, you guys. Three days! He doesn't like me anymore. I talked about George too much. I know it. He's never going to speak to me again. He-"

"Carmen. Shut up." Ashley commanded.

"I promise, it's fine." Allyssa assured. "He's probably trying to think of the best way to ask you next. Okay?" She sat back and sighed, then glared at her Herbology homework, unfinished and abandoned.

Carmen got up and began pacing through the aisles of books, not even bothering to pretend to look at the shelves.

A few seconds later, George slid in, wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that were too small for him.

"George? What're you-"

"I'm- er- not George. Well, I am, but I'm not. I'm going to ask her in person, but pretend I've got a polyjuice potion. Does that make any sense?"

"No."

"Well, she said she likes me, so I'm me, only I'm pretending I'm not me, pretending to be me."

There was a silence.

"You just want to kiss her, don't you?" Ash asked.

"Yes. Where is she?"

"Back there somewhere." Allyssa said, pointing to the rows of books.

George took off and found Carmen on a lonely back aisle, beating her head against a wall.

"Carmen? What are you doing?"

She spun to look at him. "Oh. Hi, George. What are you wearing?"

"Er- I'm not George. I just- This is very hard to explain. See, when you said you liked George, I-"

"Joe?"

"What?"

"Uhm, I didn't know what else to call you. We ended up calling you Joe."

"Oh. Well, yes, then."

Carmen hesitated. "Why are you George?"

"Well, you said you liked him and I wanted to see you now, so I got my hands on some polyjuice potion. I haven't got long. It was Hell finding you.

"Sorry."

"Saturday night at six thirty. In the same room as before."

"Uh, okay. Six thirty? Alright."

Before anything else could be said, George grabbed Carmen and kissed her roughly. She melted in his arms as he kissed up to her ear and nibbled on the lobe gently, then trailed back down to the hollow of her neck and back up to her mouth, which was still open.

He didn't want the kiss to end, even if she just stood blankly with her arms by her sides.

Finally, she began to figure the right way to kiss him back.

He breathed in deeply through his nose and pulled her closer by the waist at the response.

"Mm. Mm-mm. Mno. You have to go. We can't do this here. If we get caught, George'll get in trouble and people will think I'm with him and he'll get mad and I'll be sad."

"Alright. See you," he said sadly.

"Oh, and Joe?"

"Hm?"

"No polyjuice potion. Even if I can't see you."

"You have my word."

The next morning, a Thursday, a box of chocolates with a note was dropped into Carmen's lap with the post.

She grinned as she opened the note. It read:

_Dearest Carmen,_

_I forgot to mention yesterday, dress casually. There's no need for suits and dresses._

_Enjoy the chocolates_

_All my love_

_Joe_

She laughed, noticing that he'd signed the name she'd given him.

Carmen folded the note carefully, put it in her pocket, stashed the chocolates in her bag, (since they were considered contraband in her possession) and left for class.

It had been many weeks since Carmen and George's initial date and George was blissfully happy, knowing that he would again see her again in a few minutes.

He hid himself properly at exactly six thirty, as always, and awaited Carmen.

When she entered, she was wearing a black and white plaid skirt and a black tank top, which had a laced v-neck that came down just far enough to show a teasing shadow of cleavage. Over it, she wore an oversized, see-through black sweater

She looked not beautiful, not glorious, but a very uncharacteristic degree of sexy. George had never seen her like that before and he wanted to leap out and get a better look.

She quickly drank the contents of the bottle and set it back down.

"J-Joe?" she asked, shedding her sweater.

George was on her in half a second, kissing her like it was his dying wish.

She reached up and wound one hand into hair and stood on her tip-toes, pressing to him.

George picked her up, which surprised her and made her bite his tongue.

"Ow!"

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I just- Oh, I'm so freaking sorry! That jut scared me and-" she quieted and chewed the raspberry truffle in her mouth.

"Sorry," she finished.

"It'th okay."

She giggled lightly.

"Hey, you wanna talk like thith, little mithy?"

"Oh, and are you going to bite me? Yeah right."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you couldn't bite me. I won't let you. You've already had your kiss for tonight. That's it. You'll have to wait."

"Ith that what you think?"

She copped an attitude playfully. "That's what I_ know_."

George leaned forward and kissed her eyes gently, then trailed down her cheek slowly to let his lips rest at the corner of her mouth.

"Open," he said softly.

She did.

He guided her tongue into his mouth and bit it lightly.

"Told you," he whispered.

She blinked out of her trance, showing her blue, pupil-less irises, an effect of the potion.

"Oh yeah?" She reached up and touched his face, sweeping back over his hair and down around his neck to his chest.

George could feel himself losing it.

Carmen took her hand away and rubbed her own neck, letting her strap fall. She mussed her hair as she ran her hand through it and then down her face to touch her lips. She reached back out to him and played his ear between her fingers, rubbing it gently. The other hand began pulling his face closer.

George was breathing heavily now, using all his willpower to stay in the seat.

When he was close enough, she reached back and bit his ear softly, then, in a breathy whisper, muttered, "Who is in charge here?"

That pushed him over the edge. George jerked away and attacked her, pulling her over him and kissing her fiercely with both arms around her.

Repeatedly, she tried to pull back, but he always found some way to keep her lips on his. Finally, Carmen jerked back without any warning or hesitation whatsoever. She was just as breathless as he was and looked rather confused.

"What is this?"

"What?"

"What are we? You can't be my boyfriend, since I don't even know your real name. You can't be a secret admirer, since we do this. You can't be 'friends with benefits', because, I don't _want_ to and, obviously, you don't either."

George was silent. He couldn't answer her. There was no answer.

He leaned his head on her shoulder.

"We can't keep this up." There were tears in her voice. "I don't like it this way. Maybe if we were out in the open, we'd do something other than snog, but we aren't. I think I should go."

"Alright. It's over then," George said, his heart feeling as thoughit had been beneath an anvil dropped from a very great height.

He pressed the bottle of antidote into Carmen's hand and kissed her softly.

She was crying.

George put her back in the other chair and stood up sadly.

Looking at her splotchy, reddening, wet face, an idea popped into his head and he acted before he had a chance to think better of it.

He opened and closed the door and Carmen let loose, sobbing hard, and drained the bottle.

She wiped her eyes and stood up, still sobbing.

"George?" she asked, making a quick attempt to compose herself. "What are you doing in here?"

"Close your eyes, Carmen."

"What?"

"Close your eyes," he repeated, stepping nearer to her.

She did and he put her hand to his face, nuzzling against her palm as he always did.

She gasped slightly and her eyes flew open.

"George? Wait- I told you! No polyjuice potion!"

"There was never was," George said softly. "I lied. I'm sorry, Carmen."

Carmen was gaping at him. "_George_? You were- and I- _George_? No, but I- I mean I- You mean _you were George this whole time_?"

He laughed and nodded. "I was too nervous to let you know. I'm sorry, Carmen."

There was a pause.

"So, now you're, like, my boyfriend, right?"

George hesitated. "Yeah…"

Carmen's face broke into a smile.

"Then let's finish our date."

A/N Okay kids. That's enough for now. Eat plenty of tacos and review me in the morning, let me know how you feel.

KYAAAA!!


	4. Scheme 4: I know You

Zomg you guys! I'm soooooo determined to get this thing up tonight!! This could be the last chapter. My next story (hopefully) will be a Twilight fic. If I ever get fliping finished. Grr-ey mc Grrgrr

And I apologize in advance to anyone named John Remmings. It's nothing personal.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned any of this, do you really think I'd be posting it here?

"Hey! Carmen!"

"Yes?"

George looked into her big, blue eyes and grinned. Two weeks, they had been officially going out and he simply couldn't get used to those eyes, the lips that were shaped like he couldn't believe, the way she rocked back and forth without meaning to so that she was in constant motion.

She always had a book with her, which he hated because it made him jelouse. It made him angry that she spent time reading while he couldn't even take a test for thinking of her.

But it didn't matter because he had her. She was all his and that was exactly what he wanted.

"Meet me on the quidditch pitch tonight, okay, love?"

She rolled her eyes. "No. I'm not going to snog in the changing room! I told you!"

"Why not? No, wait. That's not what it is. Just, please?"

"Fine, but I'm not putting _one foot_ in that changing room!"

When George arrived at the pitch, Carmen was lying in the grass, reading.

He snuck up quietly and kissed her cheek suddenly, making her jump sideways and scream.

He grinned and laughed.

"Stop _doing _that!" she hissed, hitting him.

"I won't. It's cute. _Why_ are you always _reading_? Are we not interesting enough?"

She blushed fiercely. "N-no, we are-"

George narrowed his eyes. "Are you fantasizing about other guys?"

"No! I- I just- Uh, don't laugh, okay?"

"Okay?"

"I pretend that it's- that it's you and me instead of the characters. Is that weird?"

"Utterly," he said, kissing her forehead softly.

"Okay, why are we here?"

"Hold on." George went into the storage shed and brought out a Firebolt. (It was on loan from Harry.)

"What're you going to do with that?" Carmen asked warily, backing up.

He grinned broadly and mounted the broom, flying quickly to her. She screamed as he scooped her up and flew higher.

"George! What- what're – Take me down! Take me back down! I'm going to fall!"

"You're not going to fall. Calm down. Would I let you fall?"

She resigned and held onto him for dear life.

George rather liked the hold the hold she had on his neck, the closeness of her body…

He flew around a bit, not very quickly at first, but finally, Carmen's inhibitions released and she turned to straddle the broom like George, putting her hands over his.

"Faster," she whispered. "Faster!" she repeated, louder. "_Faster_! **Faster**!"

"It doesn't go any faster!" he laughed.

"Oi! Weasleby! Get down here, you muggle loving filth!"

The couple looked down to see the Slytherin quidditch team.

George rocketed to the ground and, after bidding Carmen to be good and leave them alone, went to the storage shed quickly to put away the broom.

"Who's this?" Malfoy asked, looking Carmen over as she picked up her book.

She rolled her eyes. "Blah mudblood blah blah crappy insults blah oh, I'm sad blah. Whatever." Carmen pushed past him and headed toward where George was coming out of the shed.

"_You're_ Weasleby's new girlfriend? You were better off before, when you were alone. Of course, with a mudblood Hufflepuff girl, so was he. Ow!"

Malfoy was now holding the spot on his forehead where the thick, hardback book had hit him.

Before there could be another reaction, he was on the ground, beneath Carmen, who had one hand holding his wrists and the other in position to claw his neck fiercely.

"What were you saying?"

They were all speechless.

"I'm tired of hearing about your crap, Malfoy. You can't keep calling names and throwing around insults and expect never to get any back. I hear it again and you're going to get a throat-full of mudblood nails. Clear?"

"Clear," he whimpered shrilly.

Carmen stood up and dusted herself off, then turned to leave. Instead, she turned around and pulled Malfoy to his feet. "Sorry, by the way. But you _totally _deserved that."

He stared after her in shock as she jogged back to George, who looked back at the dumbstruck team haughtily.

"I'm so glad you're mine," he chuckled, kissing her forehead.

"Aw, lookit you, bein' all cliché and such!" Carmen replied, ruffling his hair playfully.

"Shut up." He looked down at her and their eyes met.

Carmen smiled and noticed his face turn beet red as he averted his eyes.

"What?"

N- Nothing. Just- Nothing."

"What? What is it? Tell me!"

"I- I'm just still… getting… used to you…"

Carmen knitted her eyebrows together. "Used to me? What does that mean?" she asked, confused.

George's face went slightly redder. "Well, before we were together, every time you looked at me, I'd start to stutter and go red and get all clumsy and junk. Didn't you notice?"

"No, I was too busy trying to keep form doing that myself! I liked you just as much as you liked me!"

"Ah, but I liked you first."

Carmen crossed her arms. "Says who?"

George froze and went red again. "N- Nevermind."

They were inside the castle then, heading to Carmen, and therefore George's, favorite haunt- the library.

She stopped dead in the middle of the hall. "How long, then, George?" she demanded. "Did you like me before we met? Come to think of it, how _did_ you know me when we met that day?"

"Er- Nevermind it. Let's just go to the library. Didn't you have a re-"

"George!"

He sighed and looked around. "Okay, yes, I liked you a long time before we met. I knew you from sometime just before Easter-"

"Easter! How did you know me then?"

"When I saw you, you were bewitching the books to sing that Christmas song. Do you remember?"

A look of dawning came upon her face. "I remember now. You were there, you saw me. And I didn't care because you're, well, you!"

George became suddenly uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Well, that's when I started to like you. Most girls, at our school, at least, didn't, well, don't, do pranks like that, or at all, for that matter, especially out of season. After that, I had to find out who you were and what house you were in and what year and anything else I could think of."

"Why didn't you just try to meet me?" Carmen asked blankly.

"I was too scared! I couldn't talk to you! I tried!" There was a pause.

"Why?"

"Well, you were smart and funny and crazy and beautiful and sweet, but still so… _mean_. And you always had your friends around and you just had so _many_ friends. Plus, you were always in a hurry, or reading, or-"

"How did you know?" she asked suspiciously.

"What?"

"How did you know that I was all those things?"

Panic flared in George's eyes. "I- uh- what things? What do you mean?Can't we just go read books?"

"How did you know that I was smart and funny and sweet and mean and crazy?" she demanded.

George hesitated, but soon gave in under her gaze. "I- I, well, I… _paid attention_… To- To you…" His eyes were trained on their hands, his holding hers gently, cautiously. Carmen was too unpredictable for him to know if this would end their relationship or not.

Suddenly, the meaning of that dawned on her. "You _watched_ me?"

"No! Don't say it like that! It's not like I was stalking you! Just, y'know, if I saw you in the hall, which I did more than I realized before, I would kind of… _pay attention_ and s-slow down to listen, turn to or watch you walk away. And sometimes, I would go for a walk and I would catch myself in the library, so I'd go see what you were up to and kind of… _pay attention._"

"That's what we call stalking."

"Carmen, I love your laugh, I love your voice, I love the way you talk. Okay, yeah, I eavesdropped on you more than once and, yeah, I heard a lot about things you didn't want people to know, like you crush on John Remmings in Gryffindor until you found out what a sleeze he was. Or that you believed Harry, but didn't want to say anything because of what it would do to Allyssa's reputation as a Slytherin. Or-"

"Oh my gosh, _you_ jinxed John Remmings!"

"Which time?"

Carmen blinked. "There were multiple occasions?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "I was quite jealous and Fred thought he was a git anyway. Mostly it was me, though."

"Jealous, were you?"

"Oh, yes. Terribly so. But… now I don't have to be… because you're… mine, right?"

Carmen rolled her eyes and kissed his hand lightly in response, then fixed him with what he called the, "Get what I want" look. He had no defense against that.

"Our meeting wasn't by accident, was it?"

George lokked away and shifted uncomfortably.

"George?" she asked.

No! Not the voice too! He could feel his willpower bending… bending… breaking…

"George?"

Snap.

"Fred wasn't keen on it. He was afraid you wouldn't duck in time and he'd be at fault for hitting you. Ginny didn't think you'd fall."

"But, of course, Mr 'know-my-every-move' knew better?"

"Of course."

Carmen smiled. "You went to so much trouble to meet me."

"Well, I had to get you alone," he replied, shrugging. "Plus, I'm most confident on my broom. Also, I heard somewhere that girls like to be saved."

She rolled her eyes again. "I can't believe," she began, wrapping her arms around his neck. "you had your brother hit a bludger at me."

George turned red under her arms as she kissed his chin.

"Short stack."

"Am not! You're- you're just… like, really tall or something! I _am_ tall for my age, thank you! _Plus,_ you're _two whole years_ older than me!"

George grinned and pulled her closer. "So you aren't mad?"

"Mad? Why should I be mad? Just because you had you brother try to bash my head with a bludger, stalked me, jinxed the guy I liked multiple times, and God knows what else? Heck no, I'm not mad. Flattered, even. I'm simply glad to be yours."

"Now who's being cliché?"

Carmen broke the hold, jumping up and down with one hand in the air, shouting "Mememememe!"

"George laughed. "Don't you have some paper or report r something to do?"

She stopped and glared at him, frowning. "Party pooper."

Okay, so, I know I said this was the last one, but I'm considering continuation. What do you guys think?

Yay!!! Okay, considering how many reviews I usually get, this is AWESOME!!!

Props and tacos to those who reviewed (except MissMonkey91, who gets a slice of pie) and, as this is the last chappy, I'm mentioning every person who has reviewed as of yet.

GaarasGurl

ABitOfBlack

Sunni Bunni

rangas rule

MavisClone101

WeasleyForMe

MissMonkey91

retro spunk

LCH8292

Snuffles-sweetie

Lovies-Mc-Lovelove!! See you next time fellows! Be Good! (sniff) I'll miss you!!


	5. Scheme 5: The Fooling War Phase 1

Alright. I get it. I'll do it. Enough reviews have convinced me to continue this fic. Alas, though, if it sucks, it isn't my fault. It's the inspiration fairy. (I would very much appreciate someone ruffing her up for me. I'm in dire need.)

Disclaimer: It ain't mine.

I just thought, why do I have to write a disclaimer for each chapter? Eh, well, whatever.

"How does she know?"

George looked up from his Potions homework. "What?"

Fred lay back in his chair, thinking. "How can she tell between us? Even Mum can't do that. I don't understand it."

"I don't know. But she thinks I'm cuter, so ha."

"I don't care who she thinks is cuter. I wonder if I could trick her…"

"Fred, don't you dare!"

Fred grinned at his twin. "I won't let it get out of hand, I promise."

George glared at him. "No."

"Don't you trust her? Think she won't know the difference?"

Anger flared in George's eyes. "If your lips touch hers, I'll curse them off. And watch your hands. I'll bind your fingers together if I have to."

Fred grinned, forming his plans already, from the simple test of their being twins, to polyjuice potions to the even more elaborate…

Carmen nearly screamed at the touch on her waist. "Jeez, give me a heart attack, why don't you! Gyah…"

"What are you looking at?" he asked innocently, looking over her shoulder.

"What are _you_ looking at?" she retorted.

"What?"

"A better question, you know that I know the difference between you and your brother, right? Seriously Fred, don't put your hands on me. It's kind of creepy."

"Carmen, I thought you knew the difference. I _am_ George!"

"Liar. Remove your hands from my person, you imposter."

Fred took his hands away. "You're not easily fooled are you?"

'I know my boyfriend, that's all, and I'll ask you not to pretend you're him, if you don't mind. Speaking of my boyfriend," Carmen said with a grin as George came around the bookshelf.

"I told you she could tell. You can't fool her."

"You knew about this?"

George shrugged. "I knew you wouldn't fall for it."

Carmen set her jaw. "So you let him hit on me… out of confidence?"

George hesitated, then replied warily, "Er, you aren't mad are you? I was watching to make sure nothing happened and he promised he wouldn't let anything happen. You aren't mad, are you? Carmen? Are you mad at me? Please don't be. Are you mad? Carmen? Love?" He hadn't foreseen her anger. Carmen's moods were much too unpredictable.

She looked up at him. "Do I look mad?"

"Yes..."

"Then what do you think?"

"Please don't be angry with me, Love!" George begged as she started to walk away. "Carmen, please! Fred, I'm going to murder you. Carmen!"

"Carmen, it wasn't his fault!" Fred said, following the couple out of the library.

She rounded. "Explain yourselves."

Fred shifted under her glare. Carmen could be very scary. "Well, I told George that I could fool you and then when he said no, I kind of might have maybe sort of challenged his trust in you a little bit kind of and I know that's what he hates and so he let me so that's why it's not his fault and stuff so please don't blame him but don't blame me either and please don't hurt me please."

The twins watched Carmen's face as she deliberated. "I will consent to this as long as no one lets me accidentally do anything I will regret or something. If this gets out of hand, I will kill you Fred. And I will be _very_ angry with _you_ George Weasley."

"How come he gets off easy?" Fred whined.

Carmen's face softened. "You only _think_ he's getting of easy. Trust me. He's got the raw end."

"This is stupid, Fred. You look exactly the same," Hermione said dryly.

"I'm with her," Lee agreed.

"It doesn't matter. Polyjuice potion has _got_ to work."

Hermione shook her head. "She probably doesn't even remember this deal. It was a month ago. She's going to be furious."

Fred ignored the warnings and went out into the halls to find Carmen. He found her in the library, as usual, with Ash and Allyssa.

"Hello," he said, sitting beside her.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"Greetings."

"What are you reading?"

"_Magic in the Mist_. It's a romance novel," Allyssa replied distractedly.

"_The Mystery of Magic,_" Ash said. "It was supposed to be this great mystery thing, but so far it's really predictable. Very disappointing."

"I'm attempting to read _The Scarlett Letter_, but it's reallyhard to understand and I don't like it. Grr."

"I'm sorry, Love"

Carmen looked at him oddly. "Why are you calling me Love?"

Fred could feel the astonishment on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Allyssa asked. "That's what he always calls you."

Carmen raised her eyebrows. "That isn't George. It's Fred."

Fred stared. "How could you know that? How could you possibly know that?"

"What?"

"Well, you guys are easy to tell apart. It isn't all how you look. You walk differently."

"No they don't."

"And you don't sound the same when you talk."

"Yes they do."

"And he always kisses me when he sees me."

"He does?"

"Plus I told him last week that I was reading _The Scarlett Letter_ for my Muggle Studies class and he told me it was stupid for me to take a class that I already knew so much about."

"That's what I said," Allyssa pouted.

"Yeah, and I told him the same thing I told you. I'd rather take a class I know too much in and pass my owls with flying colors than take something else and fail them."

Fred was almost too shocked to speak. "Damn it! I thought I had gotten it!" he burst.

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, as if tricking me was as simple as _that_. Of course I would have known you idiot! Just because you _look_ like George, doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to mix you up!"

Fred stood up and stalked out angrily.

"What was that all about?" Ash asked.

"I'll tell you later."

"Wow. He must really have a lot of faith in you," Allyssa said as the three girls sat outside by the lake.

"Yeah, yeah. Faith and trust and all that. Now what I want to know is, if I can spot _his_ imposter, could he spot mine?"

Ash looked at Carmen warily. "No, Carmen. Not doing it."

"No, see, I've already got it all worked out! I got Chad to send me a thing of Polyjuice potion and one of you guys could do it!"

"Not on your life," Ash said.

"Wait, do you really think he could see through that? A polyjuice potion? I dunno, Carmen…" Allyssa said worriedly.

"He had _better _be able to!"

Ash bit her lip. "I dunno Carmen…"

"Pleeeeease?"

Allyssa grinned. "This could be kind of cool. I always wondered what it would be like to be you."

"It isn't that great. Trust me."

"Are you sure that's him?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"What if it's Fred? That would kind of mess things up, wouldn't it?"

"Allyssa, just go! You're wasting time, and time is potion! Now go!"

Allyssa tripped out. IT was weird being as big as Carmen. It was also weird having permission from your best friend to hit on said friend's boyfriend while she was watching.

Allyssa linked her arm with George's as he walked down the hallway. "Hey George."

"Hello, Love," he replied, kissing her cheek.

"Want to go to the library?"

"Sure…" he said skeptically.

"What's the matter?"

"Are you alright?"

Allyssa blinked at him, unsure if she could keep this up. "I'm fine."

George scrutinized her. "What are you playing at Carmen? What's going on?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea of what you could possibly be talking about." That was definitely a Carmen-ish phrase.

George stopped and grabbed her face, then kissed her lips swiftly. "You are not Carmen. Where is Carmen?" he asked, looking around. "Carmen, this is not funny. I just kissed someone that was not you and I feel very guilty."

Carmen broke from the crowd she had been hiding in. "You were the one who kissed her," she pouted.

George shook his head. "Who is this?"

"Allyssa. But it's only fair! You tested my ability to tell you and Fred apart, so I tested your ability to spot an imposter too. I didn't expect you to kiss her!"

George bent down to her face and stopped a centimeter away. "You have started a war, Love. This is only the beginning."

Damn! That little Korean just flew away on a panda bear!

Lol. Sorry, I just loved that line. I was watching MAD TV on Saturday and she said that and I LOVE pandas.

Yeah, halfway through this chapter, the inspiration fairy visited. She must have heard my plea.

Okay. Review me and stuff and tell me what you think and stuff and you'll get a taco and stuff and sorry this chapter is so short and stuff but it's just a build up chapter and stuff so just wait for it and stuff… I have an IDEA! WOOT!


	6. Scheme 6: The Fooling War Phase 2

Yay! Another chapter! Everyone rejoice! WHOO! I better get my muffin Caramel! Raarg!

Okay, kids, I'm going to start uploading my Twilight fanfic soon(ish) and I'm starting a Naruto fic soon too. I'd really love it if some of you read those too! (hearts!)

Don't make me bribe you with tacos!

BTW, some yaoi-ish content. Sorry, my inner fangirl took over…

Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned, but I hear you can get it on EBAY…

* * *

"You want a war? You've got a war then!" Carmen shouted, looking for the sluttiest clothes she owned.

"What are you doing?" asked one of Carmen's dorm mates, Rebecca.

"If George wants a fooling war, then it's a fooling war he'll get!"

"What does skimpy clothes have to do with a fooling war?"

Carmen ignored Rebecca and continued digging in her trunk.

* * *

"C- Carmen?" Ron choked.

Fred and George turned around to see what their little brother was looking at.

"Carmen!" George exclaimed in a high pitched voice.

The normally modestly clad Hufflepuff was wearing a tight black miniskirt (that wasn't even hers. It was really Allyssa's.), with knee high, stiletto, black leather boots and a tight red spaghetti strap top.

"You aren't Carmen! You can't be! Who are you?"

Carmen stepped carefully, not used to the heels she was in, and came close to her boyfriend. "I _am_ Carmen. Who else would I be?"

George couldn't breathe when she stepped close him and touched his chest. The heels made her almost as tall as he was. "You… You can't… be… Carmen…" he whimpered.

"Aren't I?" she asked in a breathy whisper.

Fred shifted uncomfortably. "Ron, why don't we go… somewhere that isn't here?"

"No, I don't want to."

"Ron!"

"Leave!" George snapped as a smile played along Carmen's lips.

"Don't you know your own girlfriend when you see her, George?"

He swallowed nervously. "Where is Carmen? Did she put you up to this?"

Carmen grinned and cocked her head. "Don't you like my… outfit, George?"

George tore his eyes away from her and looked around the grounds to see if anyone was watching. All eyes were on them.

"You should stop this," he squeaked, his voice cracking. "You're going to ruin Carmen and she's going to be really mad. I- I'm warning you."

Carmen pressed George to the tree she had backed him into. "Now, George. I'm a little insulted that you don't believe it's me. Who else would I be?" she repeated, breathing her words into his face.

George grabbed her hand, panting, and ran to the castle.

"Ah! George! I can't run now! These boots!"

George, without missing a beat, spun and picked her up, then turned around and began running again.

Once they were in a certain empty classroom, George laid Carmen on the desk at the head of the class and kissed her roughly. "Carmen…" he whispered, as he trailed kisses down her neck.

"I thought I wasn't Carmen."

George stopped dead. He had forgotten that this wasn't Carmen.

He looked up into her face. She was smiling.

"You little tramp," growled as he went back to kissing her. "If you aren't Carmen, I'm going to hurt you."

"If I'm not Carmen, you'll want to move to Botswana for your own safety."

George looked into Carmen's eyes. "You are most definitely Carmen," he said decisively. "Now, why are you wearing this, you little tease?"

She grinned. "To confuse you. Did it work?"

"Yes. Very well, might I add."

She beamed.

"And now you are going to pay for it," he said, pushing her back and kissing her deeply. "I can't believe you're wearing this. Where did you get these?"

"Allyssa, a girl from my house, an old tank. It was Hell finding you, by the way."

"You walked around? The whole school saw you in this?" George demanded jealously.

Carmen blushed. "No. I was wearing a coat. But my feet hurt."

George sighed in relief. "I am going to get you for this, Carmen Shivers."

"Oh, are you?"

"Yes, as soon as I am finished with you here."

She laughed deep in her throat. "As long as you understand that you aren't allowed to see any skin that isn't already covered."

"That's fine, you little tart."

* * *

George paced the corridor nervously.

"Don't worry, this'll be great!" Fred assured his twin.

"What time is it? The note said to be here at 6:30. Is it 6:30 yet?"

"Almost."

"I'm not even sure she's going to come. When I sent her the first note, she ignored it, remember? What if she doesn't respond? I don't think she's going to respond. She probably won't respond. Oh, no! Here she comes!"

Fred grinned and hid himself under Harry's invisibility cloak to watch the latest battle of the Fooling War unfold.

Carmen came around the corner, walking purposefully with a piece of parchment in her hand. She caught sight of George immediately. "Harry? What're you doing here? Have you seen anybody else?"

"Er- no. It's just me." George took a deep breath and wondered why he was going through with this. Maybe he was going to far…

"…_so I tested your ability to spot an imposter too."_

This was not too far, he decided.

Carmen was looking around confused, then she looked back at the paper in her hand. Suddenly, horror washed over her face. "No, Harry…"

"Carmen, I love you," he muttered, his face burning. It was true, and the first time he'd said it in so many words, but it was coming out of Harry's mouth.

She looked horrified. "Harry, I don't think you understand how bad this is. Now, if you never mention this again, neither will I. Agreed?"

George, sensing that the time to reveal himself had come, leapt forward and grabbed her wrist.

"Harry, don't you dare!" she growled dangerously.

George swallowed nervously. The whole thing would fall apart if he didn't kiss her, but she was much taller than he was now and she was quite terrifying.

_Pluck up the courage and do it, man! If you don't you'll ruin Harry!_

George leaned into her and kissed her tight lips hard, but she softened and gave in quickly, then shoved him away roughly.

"George Weasley, I am going to kill you!"

He smiled. "What did you come down here for, Love?"

"To tell whoever sent this I was sorry, but I already had someone, but apparently, that may not be true anymore!"

George paled. "No, Love, please! Are you really that mad after what you did to me?"

She rounded on him. "You just wait, George! You just wait!"

Carmen spun on her heel and started to walk away, but George, who was beginning to turn back, caught her.

"It was the truth, Carmen."

"What? What was the truth? I'm beginning to think there isn't any truth left around here!"

"I do love you."

Carmen stopped dead, not looking at him. "What?"

"I love you."

She swallowed hard. "Are you George yet?"

Fred's head appeared out of a wall and nodded, then disappeared again.

"Yes."

Carmen spun around to look at him, tears in her eyes. "How dare you make me hear that from Harry's mouth first," she whispered, just before she kissed him roughly. "And I love you, too."

* * *

"Carmen, what do you need Draco Malfoy's hair for?" Allyssa asked, handing over the pieces of pale blonde hair she'd extracted from his pillow after sneaking into his room.

Carmen grinned maniacally. Before taking out a bottle full of something disgusting and thick.

"Oh, no." Ash said. "Carmen, you wouldn't!"

Carmen ignored her and dropped the hairs into the bottle and shook it up.

"Carmen Elizabeth Shivers do not drink that potion!" Allyssa shouted, horrified at what she'd done.

Ash leapt at her friend, but it was too late. Carmen's evil plan was already in motion.

* * *

"Oh, George…"

George turned around to see why there was a male voice singing his name. "Malfoy?" he whispered, afraid Madam Pince may look over before he got a chance to hex the little slimeball. "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked suddenly, noticing the dreamy look on the pale ferret-faced Slytherin before him.

Malfoy stepped slowly foreward. "I just wanted to see you, is all. Is that to much to ask?"

"For the likes of you? Yeah. Hey, quit looking at me that way. Stop, that's creeping me out!"

Malfoy pushed George down into the chair and straddled his lap, touching his face and leaning forward. "You _do_ have such a pretty face."

"Malfoy! Get off me! What in bloody Hell are you thinking?"

Malfoy's face moved closer and his arms twined around George's neck. "I'm thinking how nice it would be if we kissed right here and now."

George paled. "Malfoy, I'm warning you! Don't-"

The space between their lips closed and George tried to shove Malfoy back, but his arms were wound too tightly around George's neck.

"Three guesses," Malfoy whispered, something in his voice going wrong.

George was stunned for a moment before he understood what was happening. "Carmen, I can't believe you. This is too much."

"You started it," she replied, smiling with Malfoy's face.

George closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Carmen, this is too much. Please get off of me."

She laughed and stood up.

"This is an odd sight. You're beginning to turn back," George said as Malfoy's features changed slowly into Carmen's.

Once Carmen was Carmen again, George pulled her back into his lap. "This is entirely too much, can't we call this off?"

"I'm not ready to call it off."

George sighed. "Are you still mad about Fred trying to trick you the first time?"

Carmen thought about that for a moment. "No, I don't think I am. But I am mad about the Harry thing."

"We didn't mean anything by it, Love. Besides, hasn't this little escapade made up for that?"

"No. I'm not satisfied yet."

George sighed again. "Fine, play if you want, but I quit."

"That's fine. Quit if you want, but I'm not finished with you yet."

* * *

"I'm tapped out." Carmen said, flopping onto the grass next to Ash and Allyssa.

"Why don't you quit this?" Allyssa asked. "It's not as though he's retaliating anymore anyway."

"I'm still mad and I still want to get him back."

"Well, what else is there?" Ash said reasonably. "You can't very well repeat anything, can you?"

Carmen crossed her arms and huffed up. "There's got to be something else."

Allyssa shifted.

"What? What is it, Llyss? Tell me!" Carmen demanded.

"Well, you could always make him look at more than one of you and pick one…"

Carmen thought this over. "But what if he didn't pick in time? He might just wait until the potion wore off."

"Not if Allyssa and I kept drinking it during. If we all had flasks, and we all took drinks from them randomly, it could work," Ash said excitedly.

"But what if he kisses me again? I really don't want to have that happen again. I felt very guilty," Allyssa argued.

"It's fine. We'll tell him he has to pick without kissing. That's the only way he's been able to tell so far."

"Do you have any potion left?" Ash asked, grinning.

* * *

"George?"

He turned around to see where the speakers had come from. Three Carmen's were coming toward him from the front of the library.

"Oh, Carmen, please don't do this to me," he said, looking between the three. "Ash, Allyssa, please, don't do this to me," he begged.

"Oh, it-"

"Was Allyssa's-"

"Idea."

George groaned. "Please, girls, don't."

The three Carmen's smiled. "You have to pick without kissing me," they chimed.

"It wouldn't be fair."

"Ash and Allyssa wouldn't like it."

"Of course, neither would I."

"And you wouldn't either, if you know what's good for you."

George sighed. "Of course I wouldn't Love, but how am I supposed to pick if you three keep talking like that?"

They grinned and all sat down around him, one on each side and the other on the table in front of him.

At the same time, they all crossed their legs and leaned toward him.

"You planned this all out, didn't you?"

"Of course."

"Of course."

"Of course."

George sat back in his chair, trying to think of a quick way to end this. One Carmen was bad enough. He didn't know if he could handle three. He bit his lip in concentration and looked at the three of them closely.

"It shouldn't be that hard."

"Can't you tell me from my friends?"

"I think I'm insulted."

George growled at them. "You aren't insulted. You can't be insulted. You probably spent a day or two teaching them how to act so that this would be impossible for me."

They grinned in response.

George thought for a moment again. What would she have left out? He grinned and Carmen's grins faded.

"What?" they chimed.

George pulled one of the Carmens off of the table and into his lap, leaning in close to her face. Her cheeks tinged red and she shied away from his face.

"You're going against the rules," the Carmen to his right said, her voice thick with anger.

George turned quickly and kissed her. "You are the real Carmen," he said.

"No fair! You kissed me! It doesn't count!"

"You gave yourself away, Love. I knew before I kissed you. Face it. You can only fool me for a little while. There is no way I am ever going to screw up. I love you."

Carmen blushed. "Allyssa, get up. You're in my spot."

* * *

George looked into Carmen's eyes carefully.

"I _am _Carmen, I promise."

"I want to believe you, really, I do, but the only way for me to know for sure right now is to kiss you and I'm a little afraid to do that."

Carmen sighed and drew his face close. "George, I'm not going to fool you today. I don't feel like it and I know that you're you, so give it a rest for awhile, hm? Can't we just be a couple for now??"

George grinned. "Convince me that you're you," he said, kissing her.

After the kiss was done, Carmen asked, "What do you think? Am I me?"

"Hmm," he replied, "maybe I should check one more time."

An hour later, Carmen told George that if he wasn't convinced by now, she would never speak to him again, much less kiss him.

"Alright, alright. I suppose. It's just been awhile since I could kiss you and not have to worry about it not being you. Can't we call this all off?"

Carmen smiled. "No sir. Just for a while, no impersonations. You started it and I intend to keep it going until I say otherwise, so there."

George frowned. "Why? Why are we doing this?"

Carmen thought for a moment. I dunno. That's a pretty good question though. Maybe you should've asked Fred before-"

"But you said you weren't mad about that anymore, Love!"

"I'm not, I'm not. But I still haven't forgiven you."

He sighed. "Will you at least warn me before you start it back up?"

"Maybe."

* * *

Okay, so the Fooling War is being put on hold for now. I'm tried of writing it. I tried to make this chapter longer. I hope you guys like it. It's all for you, after all. Anywhat, I brought you all some tacos (and a pie for MissMonkey91), but you only get them if you review and tell me stuff and stuff. If you have any ideas or something, let me know and I'll see about getting them on in here. The sadness comes… I must go to the dreaded… WORK! AUGH!!

Lovies, kids! Enjoy your special homemade dessert! Tacos on rye with curry on the side!


	7. Scheme 7: May I Cut In?

Woot! Thanks to, CaramelBoost for the sweets and JK Rowling, for writing Harry Potter, which somehow turned into premade characters and settings for a bunch of fangirl authors. Again, no offense to anyone with the names John Remmings or Patrick McCloud! Also, apologies for taking so long and being so sucky! (this is where you all leave reviews telling me how much I **don't** suck!)

(Sorry this chap took so long. Get out your torches and pitchforks, we have to go find that DAMNED FAIRY AGAIN! Pissin' me of…)

And I didn't really like the fooling war much either, but it was fun to type up. But if you didn't like it, I'm sure I've done something right, since you read it anyway! (smile)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own this stuff, though I'd sure like to. If you know where I can get some George, let me know. XP Oh, and I also don't own the "For Dummies" company thingy…

* * *

It was a dreadfully dark and equally rainy evening. George and Carmen were, for once, not in the library.

"George?"

"Hmm?"

"What time is it?"

George looked around. "I have no idea, Love. Why?"

"Because I don't want to get back late."

George looked down at Carmen and pouted. "We can make it. I never get caught."

Carmen gave him a doubtful look. "When was the last time I made it back without getting caught, huh? I have no capacity to do anything right, have I?"

"That's not true. You do quite a few things right. You have excellent marks in most of your classes and you do kiss correctly. Your mouth goes in the right place and everything."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "You'd better be glad you're cute enough to be as dumb as you are."

George looked shocked. "On our first date, I seem to recall your thinking I was a genius."

She looked away. "Yes, well… Okay, seriously, though. We need to get back."

George pouted again, but helped Carmen stand up from her spot on Astronomy tower's floor.

"My booty hurts… been sitting to long."

George grinned. "I could always-"

"George Weasley, keep your hands away from my hiney!"

George laughed. "Would you like me to walk you to your house, Love?"

"No, that's okay, thanks. I think I can find it on my own. Goodnight, Georgie Porrgie."

George leaned away from her kiss.

"What?"

"Georgie Porrgie kissed the girls and made them cry. I hate it when you cry. You look pitiful."

Carmen crossed her arms. "Fine, don't kiss me then. _That_ won't make me cry."

George twirled her around swiftly and planted his lips on hers. "Good night, Carmen. I love you."

"Good night. I love you too."

* * *

The next morning, George greeted Carmen as usual in the Great Hall and walked her too her table, then went to his own.

Carmen immediately tore into a steaming, chocolate-y muffin (with extra bits of chocolate), looking over her shoulder to make sure no one had seen her eat the delicious, dreaded food. When she looked, though, she realized she was face to face with a Ravenclaw boy with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

She choked at how close he was.

"Hello. My name is Patrick McCloud." He spoke with a thick Irish accent. "You're Carmen Shivers, aren't you?"

"Yeah…" she replied, her mouth full of muffin.

Patrick cocked his head. "I'm head boy," he stated, proudly.

"Okay…"

"I know Ashley."

Carmen raised an eyebrow. "Um… Yippee? Most people in Ravenclaw do."

Patrick grinned at her. "I've heard about you from her."

Carmen sighed. "Okay, seriously, is this gonna go anywhere? I have fooding to do."

He laughed. "Hogsmeade is next weekend."

Carmen sighed. "I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart."

"And Hufflepuffs are supposed to be nice," he shot back.

George appeared at Carmen's elbow. "Which is why Carmen is special. Have you finished your breakfast, Love?"

"But the post hasn't even come yet!" she whined. "My parents were supposed to send me the jester doll I ordered!

He shot a glare at Patrick.

Ignoring the devastatingly dirty look from George, Patrick sat down beside Carmen, George imitating him on her opposite side.

"So are you going to go to Hogsmeade?"

Carmen sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "No, butterbeer makes me sick and I'm banned from Honeydukes."

"You forgot about Zonko's," George reminded.

"Oh. Right. Well. I'm just entirely too lazy to remember to set anything off anyway, unless I'm on a sugar high. Which I'm not allowed to be anymore. Besides, George brings me what I need." Carmen smiled and leaned back on her boyfriend, who wrapped his arms around her gently.

Patrick ignored this. "But you _could_ go?"

"But I don't."

"But you _could_?"

"I don't."

"You could if you _wanted_ _to_ though, right?"

"Hypothetically, I could. BUT, I don't want to, so I'm not going to go."

"Well, do you want to go with me?"

Carmen choked and reflexively grabbed George's wand hand to keep it where she could see it. "I thought you said you'd heard about me from Ash!"

"I have."

"Then you're stupid," she stated before she got up and dragged the angry George behind her, forgetting her doll.

"Hey!" he called after them.

"Carmen, Love, where are we going? We have class."

Carmen looked at him and he shut his mouth.

"Not today, sweets. I need a day with you."

George, unable to argue with such reasoning, followed her behind the tapestry in the Great Hall.

Carmen leaned over on him and buried her face in his chest.

"Carmen? What's the matter?"

She sighed. "I dunno. I just feel… Who was that guy anyway?"

"Head boy, Patrick McCloud. Seventh Year, likes to patrol the seventh floor corridor from around 11 to 2, allergic to shellfish and nuts, _deathly_ afraid of snakes and heights."

Carmen gave him an odd look. "How do you know all that?"

"Fred and I have to avoid him all the time. We don't get along well."

Carmen groaned. "So you know his allergies and greatest fears? Come on, George. That's just cruel."

"He started it."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, so he didn't, but he's John Remmings best friend and, well, as you know, I'm not very fond of _him_ either."

Carmen re-buried her face.

"Really, Love. What's wrong?"

"I _know_ he's John Remmings best friend. He knew I liked him and he made fun of me. He was the one who told him. I'm assuming you know that he found out and I'm also assuming you know what he said to me when he did."

George's face was red. Very, very red.

"Wait here, Love. I'll be right back."

"George, no! You are not going to touch him!"

"Er- Of _course_ not, Love. I just have to go to the bathroom."

Carmen hugged him. "You're going to leave me here? All by myself? Don't leave me. Please?"

He sighed. Was he that easy to manipulate? No! He wasn't! He was going to go find John Remmings and Patrick McCloud and teach them-

"He's not worth the trouble George. Stay with me." Carmen reached up and kissed the base of George's jaw gently, sending shivers up and down his spine.

He changed his mind. He was _definitely_ that easy to manipulate.

He hoped she would manipulate him some more.

Carmen looked up at George in the dark of the secret passage, pouting. "Are you going to stay with me?"

"Are you going to kiss me like that again?"

"No," she replied, pulling him down by his tie and kissing him harshly.

_Even better_, he thought.

He pressed her to the wall and tugged on her lip with his teeth, making her giggle as it always did.

Light flooded the passage as the tapestry was pulled back.

"Hello again," Patrick said. "Don't worry, Weasley, I'll make sure _your _detentions work around the Gryffindor Quidditch schedule."

* * *

"I'll see you later, Love," George said, kissing Carmen's forehead before he headed out to Hogsmeade for the day.

"You should come up with a nickname for him too," Ginny said absently as she flipped through a book, waiting on her brother with Fred and Lee.

"No, I like the name George," she grinned, turning her face up from her book to kiss his smiling face.

Ginny rolled her eyes and Lee and Fred mimicked being sick.

Carmen tossed back her head and glared at them upside down.

"I don't think it's healthy for anyone to be scary when they're upside down," Lee mumbled as they began to walk away.

Carmen grinned back up at George and kissed him one last time before he left for Hogsmeade for the day.

* * *

Carmen hadn't moved in an hour and she had to pee.

Bad.

She looked around for Madame Pince. That stupid librarian always put away her book whenever she left and she could never find it again on the shelves, and she couldn't check out any more until she returned at least one of the three she had out.

No sign of her.

Now, where to put it… She had to hide it while Madame Pince wasn't looking, so that she could come back for it with the comfort that she knew where it was.

Carmen, in an attempt to be sneaky, shoved the book into an empty, barren spot just after _Phoenix Mating For Dummies_, then rushed out of the library and to the bathroom. Knowing Madame Pince would find her book soon, she hurried back as soon as she could.

But, alas, the book had disappeared from its spot on the shelf. Carmen groaned and slumped off to go see if she could find it again before she forgot the book's title. Just as she turned into the row, she caught sight of a tall, red-headed boy kissing a short, not-very-pretty Hufflepuff girl very feverishly.

"Fred? What're you doing here? I thought you went to Hogsmeade with the others. And who's this? Oh, hi, Emily. Sorry to interrupt."

"Wait- _Fred_?"

"Well, yeah, who did you think it was? Ron?"

Emily huffed in anger and slapped Fred across the face hard. "You filthy liar!" she hissed. "You told me you were George!"

"Oh, no, honey. George wouldn't dare. But it's cute that you have a crush on him."

Fred watched Emily go with an open mouth and, when she had stormed out of the library, Carmen rushed Fred and pinned him to the wall with one elbow in his throat and the other hand covering his mouth. "What could possibly give you the right to play with people's feelings? Nothing at all. If I hear of this again, I will kill you, and you can be sure of that, Fred Weasley."

Fred's eyes were soft despite her glare.

"What, you vermin? Tell me!"

In a quick, swift movement, Fred had captured her hands and spun her around, pinning her to the wall. "You are very pretty when you're angry," he said softly, then kissed her roughly.

"Fred!" she gasped, yanking her head away so hard that she smacked it loudly on the wall.

He grinned and stepped away, putting on a concerned mask just in time for Madame Pince to come looking.

"What is going on here? Oh, it's you two. Do you need detentions?"

"No, ma'am, Carmen just tripped and hit her head on the wall. Are you alright, Love?"

"Don't call me Love, you jerk! Only George can do that!"

Madame Pince looked shocked for a moment, but seemed to decide it best to stay out of it and went back to the front desk.

Fred advanced on Carmen, but she ducked him.

"You're going to ruin all of our reputations, Carmen."

"I don't care!"

"Oh, come on now. Why do you have to be this way? I'm just like George. Pretend I'm him."

Carmen dodged Fred's lunge at her. "You have lost your damned mind, boy! Get away from me!"

Finally, Fred caught her. "Don't be loud, dearest," he said, just before pressing his lips to hers.

Carmen yanked away and ran, leaving all her things in the library, and escaped the castle to go find the only person who could make her feel right again.

* * *

"Hey! You can't be in here, Shivers!"

"Shutup!"

"Oof!"

George, recognizing the angry, teary voice, turned around just in time to be tackled around the middle in the tightest hug he'd ever had.

Carmen had latched herself around his middle in a death grip and buried her face into his chest.

"Carmen? Love? What's the matter?"

"He- and then- but I couldn't- Emily- Fred- I just-"

"Ssh… Sh, calm down," George cooed as he pulled the sobbing Carmen out of Honeydukes. After a good ten minutes of consoling, George had Carmen down to slight shivers every now and then rather than the great, violent sobs from before. "Now tell me what happened. Can you do that?"

Carmen took a deep, shuddering breath and began. "I was in the library and Madame Pince put my book back because I went to the bathroom and I saw Fred kissing Emily, this second year from my house who has this massive crush on you that she thought I didn't know about. Can you believe she thought I didn't know? You know, she has pictures of you. It's very creepy-"

"You're getting off topic, Love."

"Sorry. So I saw them kissing and she thought Fred was you and I told her otherwise and she slapped and stormed away and whatever. And then I kind of attacked Fred because that was a jerk move, doing that to a poor little girl. She'll be crushed, I know it. Anyway, he got a hold of me and he kissed me and I pulled back and I hit my head right here and it really, really hurt and then Madame Pince came and he called me Love and he kissed me again and I need you to kiss me really badly because his lips were very wet and gross."

George leaned down and kissed Carmen tenderly. "Better?"

"Yes."

"Okay, first, that couldn't possibly have been Fred because he's been with me all day and I'd just left he and Lee to go to Honeydukes right before you came. Secondly, you are very inept at explaining things. Lastly, is your head okay?"

"I think so. I've got a bump though."

George felt of the back of Carmen's head and nodded. "That _is_ quite a nasty bump. Now, Love, you understand that it wasn't Fred, right?"

Carmen nodded. "If you say he was with you, he was with you."

George nodded. "We need to figure out who would do this, don't you think?"

Carmen nodded again and sniffed. "That's a good idea."

* * *

A/N- I have come to three conclusions-

1. Bus tires are large and scary and should be avoided, for they can be quite hot to the touch after long drives.

2. It is entirely too easy for Hogwarts students to acquire Polyjuice potion in my stories…. Whatever…

3. Madame Pince is never around… Has anyone else noticed that? That's kind of weird… And even when she is, she's not very helpful, is she?

I don't much like this chapter either... Also, if you haven't figured out the "mystery" yet, you are extremely dumb. Sorry.

Anywhat, review or comment or critique or flame or make sparkley notations with purple glitter pens and outline them with apple-scented motor oil or whatever it is you guys do, for if you do, you shall receive a FREE, that's right FREE, taco! I just want to hear from you guys. (switches into G-ma mode) _You know, dearie, you could at least call your poor old Granny once in a while!_

Okay, that was weird… But y'all have come to expect that from me, haven't you?

Sorry about the crappyness and the long wait, the inspiration fairy is gypping me. (apologies to any gypsies out there. It's just a saying.)(Do gypsies even use computers?) I'm uploading this now because I feel bad for making y'all wait so long, so here's half of this plotline…

On another note, I'm hungry and tired. Good night, O Faithful Ones! I'll finally get my brownie!

Wow, my A/Ns are _long!_


	8. Scheme 8: Search and Destroy

Sorry it took so long, y'all. I've just been… uninspired. Sorry. I don't know what else to tell you. I'm not very good at real excuses. Here, let me give it a try.

Well, I was off on this undersea adventure with my kitty, Spleen, when we ran into a merunicorn who had a problem with our being…

Okay, forget that. Lemme just get on with the story.

**Disclaimer: **I'm too tired to own this… Again, Patrick McCloud and John Renmings, sorry and all. Also sorry to any Mia Rembrandts reading.

Just a btw, I'm pretty sure I misspelled… er I'm not willing to do it again… I misspelled the head of the Gryffindor house's name. And if you guys don't frigging start commenting, I'm not going to upload my prescheme for a long time!

"I think it was John Remmings," George said.

"You just want to curse him, You're bias," Hermione said as she, George, Harry, Carmen, Lee, Fred, Ron, and Ginny all sat outside, near the Shrieking Shack. They hadn't been able to track down Ash and Allyssa. "We need to think this out. Who has it in for the two of you?"

Ron looked confused. "But if they have it in for Carmen and George, why would they pose as Fred and kiss Carmen. You'd think they've got it in for Fred."

Hermione shook her head and opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by Ginny.

"No, he was posing as George, you idiot. He wanted Carmen to see George kissing another girl and break up with him. He obviously didn't know about the Fooling War."

"Oh."

Carmen was staring off, thinking of who could possibly want the two broken up as George quietly played with her hair.

"Hello? Can you two think of anyone?"

"Malfoy?" Fred offered, at a loss.

"For what? That time I threw a book at him? I don't think so."

"That was awesome, by the way," Harry said.

"Patrick," George said, suddenly looking up.

"Okay, I get that you don't like him, Sweetie, but I don't think he'd go _that_ far."

Lee shrugged. They're pretty nasty guys, Remmings and McCloud. I wouldn't put it past them."

"Yeah, I'm that important to them." Carmen rolled her eyes. "Malfoy is probably more likely. I mean, I've talked to the guy once. What could he possibly want from me?"

"Carmen, I love you, but you really do try to see the best in people too much."

George wanted to skip his classes on Monday and follow Carmen under the invisibility cloak for protection, but she insisted that she wasn't about to trust that he would keep his hands to himself in either the respect of Patrick or herself.

He sat in Transfiguration, angry and glaring at his bird that he was supposed to be changing into a pillow.

It was raining outside, and this was the block that Carmen had Care of Magical Creatures. She was outside, playing in the rain in her school uniform with a load of people who didn't appreciate it while he was stuck inside turning birds into pillows. How lame was that?

He pictured her, basked in the image for a moment, then opened his eyes and grudgingly set to work.

After that class, there was lunch. As he was walking, he heard a chanting. After a few turns, he found the group that was yelling, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

He pushed through, only to find his little sister and his girlfriend, wands broken and beating the living Hell out of each other.

Suddenly, Carmen threw Ginny to the ground, grinned, and spun on her heel, planting her lips firmly on a very stunned Malfoy.

George could feel his mouth hanging open and couldn't decide why he was madder. On the one hand, she had kissed Malfoy, second, she was beating up Ginny, but the mot horrible of the three was that the girl before him, tonguing Malfoy, was completely dry. She was not Carmen.

He stepped foreword into the group and yanked the fake Carmen away, then slapped her. "How dare you," he growled.

"George, what are you doing?" Carmen yelled.

Ginny leapt up and lunged at Carmen again. "You- you- I can't believe anyone could- George! Let me go! You don't know what she's been doing!"

George was holding Ginny back by the waist. "Ginny, that's not Carmen."

Carmen looked shocked. "Who else would I be? Just because I've come to my senses doesn't mean I'm not me! You'll never understand how I feel for Draco!"

Malfoy was dazed, unmoving and bleary eyed. Carmen touched his face, shocking him out of his trance, and kissed him again.

Malfoy gaped at her. "M- Mudblood… Kiss… I- She- Uh…"

George ignored him and grabbed the fake Carmen by the arm, dragging her away.

"Hey! Let go of me! I don't like you anymore! Don't touch me!"

George and Ginny dragged her down and to the Great Hall, where they tracked down the wet, laughing Carmen.

"Hey, Ge- What's this?"

"Who are you? Why are you posing as me?" demanded the fake Carmen.

"Huh?" Carmen asked. "George, who is this?"

"That's a good question, Love."

"Mr. Weasley! Ms. Shivers!" snapped Professor Mogonagal. "Er- Ms. Shivers… ah… Come with me, the three of you!"

George, Carmen, and the fake Carmen followed her to her office, out of the Great Hall where everyone stared as they went out.

"Now, what is going on?" she asked, once they were in her office.

"I don't know, I guess someone decided to impersonate me."

"You filthy liar! I'm gonna rip your fingernails out with pliers, you little imposter!"

"_You're _the liar! I can't believe this! Professor, can't you do something about her?"

"Me? George told me what you did, you skank! You better hope I don't find out who you are, or I'm gonna _kill you!"_

"Ms. Shivers! Ms. Uh- Shivers! Stop this! Mr. Weasley? Tell me what happened."

George recounted the events of the hall upstairs. Both Carmens were glaring at each other, trying to kill each other with their eyes.

As George finished, both girls broke into threats and name calling.

"Stop it this instant!" Professor Moganagall shouted. "One of you has got to be the real Carmen-"

"Me!"

"Not her! Me!"

"Shut up, you whore! What kind of moron would impersonate someone like me?"

"I don't know, why don't you tell us?"

"Stop it!" Professor Moganagall sighed and looked to George. "Mr. Weasley, do you think you could pick out the real Carmen?"

George pointed to the Carmen to his right, the wet Carmen.

"Are you quite sure?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"He's wrong!"

"No he's not, you psycho!"

"Will you two be quiet! Thank you. Now, Mr. Weasley, you're positive that that is the real Carmen?"

"Yes, she had Care of Magical Creatures and it was raining, so she's all wet. Plus, I would never mistake anyone for Carmen."

"That's a nice notion, Mr. Weasley, but- Are you alright?"

The Carmen to George's left was melting into a different person, dark blonde hair fading into black, pale skin darkening to olive, blue eyes melting into dark brown. When the transformation was finally complete, the robes were hanging off of the girl's small frame and she was sitting back angrily in the chair. She couldn't have been above second year.

"Ms. Rembrandt?"

"Who the crap are you?"

Neither George nor Carmen had ever met the pretty girl sitting next to George. What could have possessed her to do this?

"Ms. Rembrandt, explain yourself!"

The girl glared up at the professor and didn't respond.

"Was it a polyjuice potion that you used?"

"Yes."

"Who gave it to you?"

"Patrick McCloud and John Remmings."

George shot Carmen an "I told you so" look.

"And why did you do this?"

She shifted uncomfortably and looked at the ground. "They said I wouldn't get caught." There were tears in her voice. "They said if I got Carmen and George to break up, they could get Malfoy to like me too. Am I going to be expelled?" A few tears fell from her eyes to the ground.

"We'll have to talk to Professor Flitwick, but you will most likely be-"

"No!"

Every face in the room turned to Carmen.

"What?"

"Don't get her expelled, Professor. She-"

"Ms. Shivers, I have no control over this. What would you like me to do, lie?"

"Yes."

"Carmen, Love, what are you talking about?"

"George, do you remember the lengths you went to? It's the same. She's just a kid, she was tricked. Kid, what's your name?"

"Mia Rembrandt."

"They made you a promise they couldn't keep, Mia. They can't influence Draco Malfoy one bit."

"But-"

Carmen shook her head. "Professor, if anyone needs to be punished, it's Patrick and John. Don't go to hard on this girl."

George sighed and kissed the top of Carmen's head. "It's always so odd to have you acting like a real Hufflepuff. And it's always at the worst times, too."

"Ash!"

"Huh?" the short girl asked, looking up from her lunch.

"Where are John Remmings and Patrick McCloud?" Carmen demanded.

"How should I know? I guess they're in the house."

"Then give me your password."

Ash gaped. It was the rule of the three that they never went into one another's house, never even asked for the password.

"Wh- What?"

Carmen knelt and muttered in her ear the happenings of earlier that day. "So either you go get them, or you give me you password."

Ash's face was red, angry, as she stood up angrily and stormed out of the Great Hall.

Carmen went to follow her, but George caught her and held her at the bottom of the stairs. Ash was back in no time, dragging along two boys, Patrick McCloud and John Remmings, protesting and fighting. Halfway down the stairs, they saw Carmen and George and started running back, dragging Ash with them until she yanked them back down, yelling, "Hey! If you don't want the rest of your years here to be a nightmare, you will shut your traps and come with me!"

When they had made it to the bottom of the stairs, they stared at their feet and began to mumble something that no one could make out.

Gritting her teeth, Carmen growled, "George…"

"Hold on, Love. Do you want to hear what they have to say for themselves fist?"

"NO, I want to rip out their eyelashes with tweezers and then see what would kill them first, the fall from the Astronomy Tower or the splat at the end?"

"What happened to that forgiveness you had earlier?"

"I used it all up on Mia," she replied, lunging at the two Ravenclaw boys.

George held her by the waist. "You know, I have half a mind to let her loose on you two."

"Yeah, ah, thanks for that."

George raised an eyebrow. "You don't have time for thanks. You need to start explaining and apologizing before my arms get tired."

"We were just-"

"I'm so sorry-"

"It was all his-"

"Hey! It was your-"

"I didn't-"

"If you two don't shut up I am going to gut you with a shard of glass!" Carmen yelled.

They both became quiet and looked at their shoes.

"Now, Remmings, spit it out."

"Well, Patrick just wanted-"

"Hey!-"

"Shove it, McCloud!"

"Well, Patrick _and I_ thought we could probably get Carmen back to liking me and we made this bet with Cho that we could but, you know, we had to, you know- Hey! Don't let her- OW! That's my face!"

"Watch the ear!"

"I'll watch it come off!"

"Ah! My hair! My hair!"

"Hair is the least of your worries!

"Look out for her nails!"

"Midget attack!"

"Oh my gosh! There are two of them!"

"Let go of my nose!"

"That's doesn't bend that way!"

"Forget bending! It's coming off!"

"OW!"

"TO THE TOP OF THE STAIRS!"

Once satisfied with the payback dealt, life resumed as usual. George and Carmen studied regularly, Fred lost his other half, and Ash and Allyssa were forced into more of a quartet than the trio that they'd been in before.

Tee Hee! I finally finished it! (Lemme alone, I forgot where I was headed halfay through this chapter!)

The next couple of chapters are going tot be from before their officiality as g & b, kind of drabble, but they're gonna be pretty fluffy and short…

Special mention to GaarasGurl! She totally deserves it! Also to all the reviewers! It helps a lot to see the hits and reviews, so keep 'em coming! Even flames, if you want! Whatever! I'm fireproof! (besides, LeeLover09, Kisashika, and GaarasGurl would probably track you down and kill you with rusty plastic sporks anyways…)

So, if I get forty reviews soon, I will weep for joy. WEEP! So review me! You get a free taco if you do!


	9. Scheme 9: The First

I felt like writing a V-day chap, but it's told from before they met. Tell me how it is, guys. So here it is, kids! Enjoy! (Best served cold with strawberry topping and whipped cream.)

**Disclaimer:** It just isn't mine, alright?

_Past_

Present-ish type thing

_Carmen glowered at her breakfast. She had hated everything about Valentines Day for as long as she could remember. She'd never gotten a thing from a guy, she'd never had a date for Valentines Day, and she'd never had one, just one, that didn't leave her miserable._

_And this one was sure to be no different._

_Or, at least she thought so._

_As she glowered thoughtfully at her pink oatmeal, a package fell on her head and bounced onto the table, landing perfectly in the plate of pink and red bagels. She stared at it for a moment, taken aback. _

_The package was wrapped neatly in red and white, sitting perfectly on a small pile of round little breads._

_Slowly, tentatively, she reached out and grabbed it. Carmen pulled the paper off carefully and opened the box. Inside, she found the flower of a peach colored rose surrounded by chocolates and a card tucked inside._

_Still gaping, she pulled out the card and opened it carefully. In neat, concentrated script, it said,_

Dearest Carmen,

Here is your Valentine's gift. I hope you enjoy it. I wasn't quite sure what to get you, but I hope this will be alright. The flower is charmed and won't ever fade. I do hope you like roses.

All my Love

_She pulled herself up out of the chair and carried the box to the Slytherin table._

"_Allyssa? Can you help me a second?"_

Carmen rubbed her eyes and looked around the dark room. She hadn't thought about the newest letter being from the sender of the original. She reached underneath her bed and pulled out the eternally fresh rose and fingered its still-perfect petals.

"_Hey, Ash! Look at this!"_

"_Lyssa!"_

_Carmen made a grab for her gifts, but missed at they were passed off to Ash._

"_Aww, Ca-arme-en! Someone wikes ouwr wittwe Cawmen!"_

"_Ash, lemme alone. Who do you think it could be?"_

"_I dunno."_

"_Fat lot of help you've proven to be."_

As Carmen sat down beside the nicest of the Hufflepuffs that she could stand, she looked from side to side at the different tables and pulled out the rose.

"HEY ELAINA, LOOK AT THIS ROSE. ISN'T IT PRETTY? I GOT IT LAST YEAR AND IT'S STILL FRESH. HOW COOL IS THAT?"

"Why are you yelling?"

"YEAH, I KNOW. NO, I DON'T KNOW WHO SENT IT, BUT I WISH I DID. WOULDN'T THAT BE AWESOME?"

"Carmen, are you feeling okay?"

"Quick, is anyone looking at us?"

"Uh, everyone's looking at us."

"Damn..."

"What were you expecting, the sender to be the only one who looked? Well, how about the only people who _aren't_ looking?"

"Yes! Yes! Tell me!"

"Ah, from what I can see, Allyssa Ahrt, The Weasley twins, Ashley Ponder, but she's just laughing to hard to look anywhere, just a few people, but I don't know most of them. I think one is called Seamus or something. Ah, Neville something-or-other, Carl whats-his-face, and Something-something Gruber. I don't know the rest of them."

"Dang…"

"_Who could it be-e?" Carmen whined._

"_I don't know, sweetie."_

_Carmen's head met hard with her desk in Defense Against the Dark Arts._

"_It's not fair. My one stupid chance to get a stupid boyfriend and he's stupid shy stupid!"_

"_Stupid won't work in that sentence that many times, Carmen," Ash said gently._

"_Shut up! If you can't think of anyone, then you're being counterproductive and that's bad!"_

_Ash rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sorry, I just can't think of anyone else. You've shot down every possibility we've come up with."_

"_That's because they didn't make any sense."_

"_Well, at this rate, nothing makes sense."_

"_I got a really sweet valentine from someone I may or may not know, nothing will ever make sense again."_

"_Shut up."_

Thinking back to that day made Carmen want even more for her secret admirer to reveal himself. Why hadn't she thought to ask him about that? And why had he waited a year to contact her again?

Unfair. He had every chance to post her, but she had none to write back. She would just have to give him a piece of her mind the next time she saw him…

"_Professor Sprout? Where do everlasting roses grow?"_

"_Hmm? Oh, in Norway, naturally, but anywhere with a cool climate is where they thrive."_

"_Okay, well, where can you buy them?"_

"_Oh, I sell them, dear. Why, did you want one?"_

"_Er, no, but I was wondering. Have you sold any lately?"_

_Professor Sprout grinned mischievously. "I'm not going to tell you who he is, Carmen, but I will tell you that he's very handsome and very sweet. I'm sure you'll hear from him again."_

_Carmen grumbled her way out of Herbology and up to the castle, no better off for her trouble. She supposed one day, maybe she would meet her admirer, but until then, she was grateful for the dream, and the chocolate, and was content to do so…_

Now wasn't that nice? Just a fluffy little chapter about my least favorite holiday. Hooray! Yes, yes, getting on with the next chapter. Lay off, you slave drivers!

Grr…


	10. Scheme 10: Forgotten

I warned you guys that these would be pre-together chaps, and that's what they are. They're not fantastic, but I like them. Woot!

On another note, I flipped a mule the other day. How hard does that suck? (BTW, a mule is like a golf cart/four wheeler/tractor thingy.) There were to many people on it, we were going to fast, and we hit loose gravel as we were turning. I got soft tissue damage on one finger and it took me awhile to figure out that I could type, just not write. That's why this is so late. Sorry, guys.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own this stuff.

* * *

Carmen was doing a lousy job at her divination. She didn't have it in her to lie, but she kept reading that she would find love soon.

How off was that? The crystal was lying! Stupid ball…

Carmen sighed and put down that she would soon find love, truly disbelieving. At least she was done. Now she could focus on her Potions homework.

"What are you doing, dear?" asked Professor Trelawney.

"Uh, homework?"

The professor tutted at her. "You have to read the crystal ball!"

"I did."

"You must continue!"

Carmen rolled her eyes, but got the ball back out. Stupid Trelawney, stupid divination, stupid magic, stupid everything.

Carmen could feel it bubbling up inside of her. She knew this feeling, the loneliness and petty jealousy of a new boyfriend.

Not her own, of course, Allyssa's.

The ball predicted trouble, multiple Carmens, war, and, most prominently, love,

Carmen was disturbed by the visions of her supposed future and wrote down that she had seen loads of fog in the future.

Why would love become so important? It had never mattered before, so why should it later? And did she have twins she didn't know about? Where had the multi-Carmens come from? Seriously, that was a little too messed up for her…

* * *

Carmen shot out of the tower when they were dismissed. Divination always irked her, she only took it because she'd heard it was an easy class.

But the future was supposed to be a mystery and Carmen found it wrong to learn one's future before it was time. The present should always be a surprise, not something that you could always say, "Yeah, I knew that was gonna happen." Life wasn't a movie that you could watch over and over until you knew every line. Life was impromptu, different each time, no matter how hard you tried to make it the same.

Deep in thought, Carmen didn't see the slower-moving person ahead of her and smacked straight into him, hard, sending her flying backwards.

"Hey! Watch it!" the boy, a seventh year Slytherin, yelled.

"You watch it, slowpoke! Jeez, my grandma walks faster than you and she uses a freaking WALKER!"

His jaw dropped and he advanced on her, drawing his wand. "You little-"

"Hey!" The Weasley twins were standing in the doorway of a classroom nearby, arms crossed and angry.

"Picking on a Hufflepuff girl? And one who's _younger_ than you, at that?"

"That's just sad, Holcomb."

The boy rounded on the twins. "It's not my fault she's too stupid to watch where she walks _or_ that she can't keep her mouth shut! She _deserves_ to be jinxed."

"I'll show you jinxed!" Carmen yelled, whipping out her wand.

"Carmen Elizabeth Shivers!" Allyssa yelled, Ash on her heels. "Put that wand away!"

Carmen snarled at Holcomb and slid the wand back into her pocket, backing away, between her two best friends.

"_Sonaria Deafinum!"_ shouted the Slytherin.

Okay, if ever Carmen had been pissed at an inanimate object, it was then. That stupid crystal ball could tell her about her love life, her multiple selves, and all kinds of trouble, but not the immediate future, where she would be deafened in the middle of the hall by a psychotic Slytherin.

Too bad she passed out from the roar in her ears before she had the chance to get the jerk back.

* * *

Carmen woke up in the hospital wing in the middle of the night. The roaring in her ears was gone, thank God, and there was a pressure on her arm, as though someone was leaning on it.

"Hello?" she asked into thin air. Had she not been at a magic school, she would have felt a lot more stupid than she already did.

The pressure left and she swiped out, catching a clothed arm.

"Ash? Where'd you get an invisibility cloak?"

The arm pulled, trying to get away.

"Hey, who are you? Where'd you get an invisibility cloak? What're you doing here?"

The arm pulled again and the cloth slid, making them stop.

"Let's play 20 questions. One cough for yes, two for no, okay? Are you a boy?"

No answer.

"Cheater. Fine, I'll try again. Ah, are you… in my year?"

Two coughs.

"Aha! You are a boy! I can tell by your cough, so there!"

"Dammit…"

"Potty mouth. It's okay. I'll count that as a question. Um… Are you in Ravenclaw?"

Two coughs.

"Are you in Hufflepuff?"

Two coughs.

"Are you in Gryffindor?"

One cough.

She grinned and pulled him towards her. "Will you sit down?"

One cough and a shift underneath her hand.

"Let's see, that's… six questions. So… do I know you?"

No answer.

"Are you gonna answer?"

Two coughs.

"Okay now, stop that! That one doesn't count!"

Two coughs.

"Hey! No fair! That-"

The cloak flew off of her visitor and she saw a flash of red hair before her eyes were covered by his hand.

"O-okay then! Ah, wh-what're you doing now?"

"Listen, Carmen, you're not going to remember my visit in the morning, so I don't think it matters much one way or the other if you see me."

"Then why-"

"But I don't want you to see me all the same."

"Uhm… that's stupid."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Okay, fine, it's not, whatever. What are you doing here?"

"I- I just wanted to see you…"

"Okay, you're straight up weird."

He sighed. "So maybe I am, but I'm about to leave you."

"But-"

"Are you ready?"

"What do you m-"

Carmen's words were cut short by something over her lips, a sensation she didn't recognize.

There was another flash of red hair just before the word, "_Sommeilso,_" was uttered and she fell suddenly asleep.

The next morning, Carmen's mind was filled with memories of her fight, but was mysteriously blank as to why she was so tired.

The memories of her sight into the future were long gone as well, but of their own accord.

* * *

So, yeah. I'm trying, guys. I've got an idea for the next chap, but _please, __please, __**please, PLEASE **_review me! Seriously. My number of reviews is pathetic. Lovies, huggles, and tacos, mien fruends! Oh, and _sommeil_ is French for sleep. 


	11. Scheme 11: Meeting You

Thank you so much for the reviews everyone! They make me irritatingly happy! And now, just because mentions make people happy, my top five most faithful reviewers!(In no specific order…)

1. GaarasGurl

2. MavisClone101

3. Harry-Potters-Princess

4. MissMoney91

5. and finally, CaramelBoost! (I love you sweetie. I'm sorry you didn't get the memo, but I don't send them out. If I did, you totally would have gotten one. Also, I don't know about the sleep thingy. My dictionary must be a liar… Yes, I love chimichangas too. Also, I love to do that. That is the best ever.I love ice cream and fries.)

I'm so excited! This is my longest story by 3 chapters! Woot! It's all thanks to you! Thank you all so, so much! And keep it up! It makes me want to update faster!

**Disclaimer:** Why do I put these on every chapter? You guys all know I don't own any of this stuff! Oh, I also don't own the NYPD or The Eagles's "Witchy Woman"

* * *

"I'm bored," Carmen sighed. 

Allyssa rolled her eyes and Ash ignored her.

"You guys are so boring!" she groaned, rolling over in the grass.

The three girls were sitting outside beside the lake on the beautiful day. Spring was springing and it was only chilly enough for a light jacket, unless you were Carmen, in which case, you didn't need a jacket at all, or Allyssa, in which case, you needed Carmen's jacket.

Carmen continued to roll for a moment, then stopped and made a loud, angry throat noise.

"If you're bored go find something to do! We're busy!" Allyssa yelled.

Carmen stuck her tongue out at her reading friends and got up, walking to the castle.

"Stupid friends! Always freaking reading and crap! It's just not fair! Tomorrow's Easter and they don't want to decorate eggs or make up Easter songs or _anything_! They are so _boring_! Why do I hang out with those two? I'll tell you why, because when I don't I wind up talking to myself! That's why! Okay, forget that, gotta think of something to do…" She looked around and saw only three things- the library, a group of Gryffindors, and a white cat.

She reached down and picked up the cat, stroking it's fur thoughtfully.

Her hand met a collar and she looked down and the tag.

_Feliz_

_Isabella Ortiz, 3__rd__ year_

_Ravenclaw house_

Carmen grinned and put the cat back down as the idea in her head grew. What was better than a little Christmas spirit? Nevermind that it was Easter.

She hurried past the Gryffindors in the door of the library and drew her wand, preparing to use her Charming skills at last.

* * *

Fred, George, and Lee stood outside the library, afraid of Madame Pince's revenge for the book they'd accidentally blown up. Sadly, they badly needed a book for McGonagall's class and there was no avoiding going in for one of them. 

Now, I know what you're thinking. Why didn't they just ask someone else to go get it for them? Well now, I'm here to tell you, they _did_.

Hermione all but killed them for destroying one of her favorite books and no one else was stupid enough to check out a book for them, just in case.

George lost.

He sighed and walked closer to the library, cursing rock forever. Rock was dead to him.

Long live Paper and Scissors.

Seriously, what kind of wimpy rock gets taken down by a piece of paper?

Nevermind that. He had to find a way into the library without catching Pince's attention AND get out, with the book, with all his limbs in tact. Even he, with all his knowledge of getting out of trouble, had no idea how he could possibly do that.

Getting in was the first, and easiest task. He simply waited for a group to hide in and hid. He swiftly made his way to the transfiguration section and started to look for his book frantically.

_Dammit… Not on this aisle…_

George snuck onto the next aisle and saw only one girl, who looked up guiltily with a book in one hand and her wand in the other.

She sighed in relief at the sight of him, saying, "Oh, it's only you."

He cocked his head. "Just me?"

She shook her head and opened the book for a second, letting the first note of "Feliz Navidad" blast before slamming it shut again.

"And, queue Madame Wince."

"What?" George hissed, then ran and hid frantically behind the shelf.

He didn't see them, but he heard Madame Pince hiss, "What is going on here?"

"Uh, I don't know, ma'am. I think this book was singing?"

Madam Pince had probably snatched the book and opened it, because it suddenly burst into a loud chorus of "Feliz Navidad."

It snapped shut and Madam Pince stormed away.

"And she's gone to find the perpetrator." The girl's head popped around the corner.

"You okay, Weasley?"

"What?"

"Are you okay? Scared of Madam Wince? I'm surprised, a Weasley twin, afraid of that old hag?"

"I blew up a book."

"Well then you're forgiven. Whatcha doin' here?"

"I need a book."

"Which book?"

"_The History of Transfiguring Reptiles_, by Nancy Yvonne Polly Delores."

"An NYPD book? McGonogall, hm? Well, you're looking at the wrong shelf. It that way. And you won't get out of here with it without seeing Wince. You can't steal these books."

George cursed under his breath.

"Unless you happen to know the spell to mask Wince's charm. Which I do. Which isn't really a spell. It's just me charming a few more books and getting a bunch of people to open them all at once so you can get out and run like mad so that she doesn't hear the book go off."

"Uh, thanks."

"No problem. How fast are you?"

George looked into her face, seemingly seeing her for the first time. At first glance, he hadn't thought she was that pretty, but now he somehow saw her differently.

That was weird…

"He-lloo?" she sang, waving her hand in front of his face. "How fast are you?"

"Er, I'm a fair runner. I escape Filch all the time."

"Wince has got conviction. You're gonna need to be a bat outta Hell."

"Why?"

"She'll kill you. _Cantas Feliz, Cantas Feliz, Cantas Feliz, Cantas Feliz, Cantas Feliz_. Hold on. When you hear the music, run for it."

"But the book-"

"Don't worry about that. It'll be here. When you her the music, run."

She shot off, then, out into the library with five charmed books in her arms.

George sat, waiting for a moment, wondering who on Earth that girl had been. She had definitely been a Hufflepuff, and was probably younger than he was, but not by much. She had been quite nice, but who had ever known a Hufflepuff that ever played a prank like that? She was very odd. George made a mental note to find out how he could find out who she was. Maybe Lee knew her… Or Harry? Ginny knew a lot of people. He could ask-

A book suddenly sailed over the shelf to his left and smacked him in the head. It was _The History of Transfiguring Reptiles_.

Before George could think, "Feliz Navidad" chorus from all around him and he ran. As he passed through the entry of the library, the book let out a great wail. George stuffed it under his robes and shoved past the confused Lee and Fred to make his escape.

The book's alarm died down soon enough and Lee and Fred were finally able to break into their questions.

Once they had both calmed down enough to give George a chance to answer, he stared at them for a moment. "Um, what?"

Lee asked first. "How did you do that?"

"I got a little help."

"From who?"

"I don't know. There was this Hufflepuff girl who was charming the books to sing Feliz Navidad and she helped me get out."

"A Hufflepuff girl? What'd she look like?"

So George described the girl to his friends.

"Nope. Don't know her."

"What Hufflepuffs do we know?"

"Laura Rudolf, for one."

"Oh, and Tammy Hunt!"

"Anyway, she was charming the books?"

"Yes."

"And?"

George shrugged. "And it was cool? I don't know. She got a bunch of people to open them all at once so that I could get out. She was so cool. She kept calling 'Madam Pince' 'Madam Wince'."

George stared at the book for a moment, then snapped to attention. "So what're we waiting for? We've gotta go find Laura or Tammy! Let's go!"

* * *

Carmen fell back hard on the ground beside Ash and Allyssa. 

"You're back."

"Yeah, I got bored again. You can only charm books to sing for so long."

"Did anything interesting happen in your book-charming escapades?"

"I helped a Weasel escape sudden death through the awesome power of persuasive speaking."

"Okay, I'm not following."

"George Weasley blew up a book, but he didn't want to brave the mighty and fearsome Wince, so he tried to be sneaky, but I had to help him. I'm the awesome-est."

"Indeed you are."

Carmen looked between her two friends and graoned loudly. "You two are so BORING!"

* * *

_(A/N Wouldn't it suck if I ended it here? I almost did! Tee Hee!)

* * *

_

"Nope, I don't know her. But I think I know who you're talking about. She hangs out with this Slytherin and a Ravenclaw and likes some guy named John Remmings. I think Rebecca knows her. Be careful though. She asks a lot of questions."

"Thanks, Tammy. Where can we find Rebecca?" George asked, inwardly rejoicing for reasons he dared not venture to.

After twenty minutes of waiting outside of the library, the girl they hoped was Rebecca came out.

"Hey! Hey, are you Rebecca Winsworth?"

"Who wants to know?"

_Okay, that's a little odd…_ "George Weasley."

"What can I do for you?"

"Do you know a girl with shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes? She hangs out with a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw and likes John Remmings?"

"Do you mean Carmen? Carmen Shivers?"

"I guess…" _That is a lot of questions... _

"Why do you want to know? She didn't set you on fire or anything, did she?" Rebecca asked, panicing.

"Er, no. She didn't. Why would she have set me on fire?"

"How should I know? Are we done here?"

"No. What year is she in?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Lee made a small noise of frustration and pulled George away. "Thanks, Rebecca. We'll see you around."

"You will?"

Once they were out of earshot, Fred burst into laughter and Lee grumbled, "There has _got_ to be someone else who knows this girl."

"Ginny knows a lot of people," Fred suggested, calming his laughter.

"Alright, let's go find her."

* * *

Carmen flumped onto her bed, thankful that she was alone for the time being. Rebecca got on her last nerve and she was sick of Melina, that stupid whore. It takes a lot of initiative to make the Hogwarts uniform look that slutty. Katie was alright, but one can only take so much sickening sweetness. Her other roommate insisted on being called Graphite and refused to tell why. That should suffice as an explanation of her feelings to the girl. 

The door opened and Carmen groaned, uninterested in who it was. It didn't matter. She didn't want to see them and that was that.

"Carmen?" Rebecca asked.

"Wha-at?" she whined. _Must get out of situation!_

"Did you talk to the Weasleys and Jordan?"

"Who?" _Crap. She's gonna wanna talk…_

"Didn't they find you?"

"Guess not." _Quickly, Carmen! Think of something!_

"So, what-"

"OO-HOO! WITCHY WOMAN! SHE'S GOT THE MOON IN HER EYES! OO-HOO! WI- Oh, thank you God, I can't thank you enough. Wait, who was looking for me? Eh, oh well,I guess."

* * *

"Carmen Shivers? Yeah, I know her. Well, I know _of _her. She's in Ron's year," Ginny said. 

"Yes!"

"Yes?"

Fred grinned. "I think George likes her."

"No I don't! How could I like her? I don't even know her! Ginny, do you know what any of her classes are?"

Ginny only rolled her eyes.

* * *

"George, what are we doing?" Lee asked. 

"We're looking for her."

"Why?"

George ignored the question, mostly because he couldn't answer, and continued searching the crowd for Carmen Shivers.

Some ways down the hall, there was a commotion.

"Hey, let's go see what's happening!" Fred said, excited.

"But-"

"Come on, George!" Lee agreed, following after his best friend.

George scanned the crowd again before he headed towards whatever it was.

In the center of the crowd stood a pretty blonde Slytherin girl and Malfoy, joined by his ever present goons, who had his wand out. He was twirling it menacingly while another wand, presumably the girl's, lay to the side, out of her reach.

"What's wrong, Ahrt? Aren't you going to fight back?" Malfoy taunted.

"Oh, come on, now!-"

"Hey!" called a voice filled with so much rage, the crowd parted instantly.

Carmen and her Ravenclaw friend were storming down the hall, followed by a fearful-looking girl.

Carmen stormed foreword and snatched up the Slytherin girl's wand, handing back.

"Coming to the rescue? How sweet. It's a nice notion, but you'd better go back and make cupcakes for your little friends, Hufflepuff. The _real_ witches and wizards are talking."

"Cupcake this, Blondie!-"

"Carmen!" the blonde girl yelled, and began to wrestle Carmen's wand from her.

"Not cool, Malfoy. You should probably start running, just in case Allyssa can't get that wand."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Look out!"

"_Lacarne Inflamare!_" Carmen shouted, sending a blue flame at Malfoy, who ducked just in time because of the warning.

"Carmen Elizabeth Shivers!" Allyssa yelled. "Ash, get her out of here!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"_Cantas Feliz!_"

George had time to wonder what would happen to a living creature if they were hit with that before the pale green beam hit Malfoy square in the chest and knocked him back into Crabbe and Goyle. They set him back on his feet and he straightened himself out angrily.

Now, if George had been paying closer attention, he would have noticed Carmen get a smug look, Allyssa become horrified, and Ash put her face in her hands.

Malfoy opened his mouth to say his own spell, but when he did, "Feliz Navidad" came out as though his mouth were a speaker.

All George could think was that Carmen was probably the coolest girl he'd ever met.

* * *

Don't you just wanna strangle the life out of Rebecca? Guess her quirk and you get a free cyber hug! AAAnd, go! 

Oaky, I really like this whole pre-acutal meet thing, but I think I'm just gonna go back and forth from pre- to post-. How's that? Well, it really doesn't matter, does it? Ha Ha Ha! You have no choice! (That's a lie. If you dislike it, read the chapters out of order. Tee Hee!) Oaky, since it's now 2:13 in the freaking morning, I think I'll go to bed now! Buenos Noches, Ninos! Critica! (That's Spanish for, "Good Night! Review!" Do it! It's in a foreign language And it's Spanish! You know what happens when you follow Spanish commands! You get tacos!)

(Oaky, to finish, Caramel, Moose pickles love ironing. And the cupcakes were lovely. Thank you. Here, have some lovely pumpkin tarts (those are awesome) on the house. I trust you. I know you're going to review. Share them with GaarasGurl. She's a faithful reviewer too.

My A/Ns are so frigging long…)

REVIEW!


	12. Scheme 12: Be Careful

Finally, I'm getting through this new chapter. It's taking so long! It's really starting to piss me off with how little time I've had and how uninspired I've been. You guys know that you're the only reason I'm still trying, right?

By the way, you should all know better than to expect anything explicit in here. Get yer minds outta the gutter, ya' dirty minded folk! Even though it's somewhat suggestive… It's just a little dirtier than my other chapters have been.

**Disclaimer: **Mlable schmark (Just making sure you read it all!)

* * *

Carmen took a deep breath. "The- The Goblins revolted in si- sixteen fifty- tw- two. Migard the Basher… uhm… Migard the Basher led the- the invas- invasion of the- George, I can't do this."

"Invasion of Castle Sims…"

"George…" se whined.

"Castle Sims…"

This was George's favorite game. Carmen had no chance of reciting what they had reviewed earlier. On the other hand, the only reason she couldn't remember anything was that George was doing his best to distract her.

He had his soft lips on her jaw, hot breath in her ear, warm hands on her hips… It was all too much for her.

When she didn't respond, he sighed against her skin. "You know the rules," he said gleefully. "If you don't finish, then you have to start over."

"Those rules are unfair. I don't think this is a very good way to study."

"Then why are you doing so much better in your classes?"

She groaned again. "George, please…"

He grinned. "From the top."

"You just love torture, don't you? You're worse than Cortez," she growled.

He grinned. "Can I do anything to redeem myself?" George asked, not waiting for an answer and kissing her roughly.

The door burst open and Carmen started, trying to jerk back but being held fast by George's hands at the base of her neck.

"Weasley! Shivers!"

She yanked George's hands from her and looked up into Draco Malfoy's face. Nothing had been the same with him since the incident of Patrick getting Mia to act as Carmen. He was now under the impression that Carmen had a big, fat crush on him, which simply was a load of crap.

"Acting this angle again, Shivers? I don't know why you stick with him. You could do better. Well, as a mudblood you can't be assured can you? At any rate, that's lines for the both of you-"

"Aw, shut up, Malfoy. I _really_ don't like you. I promise."

"Sure you don't, Shivers, sure you don't. I suppose just being with Weasleby is punishment enough. As for you, Weasleby, you're lucky and punished all at once, aren't you? A mudblood _and_ a Hufflepuff, pathetic-"

George started to jump at him, but Carmen's arms were wrapped firmly around his waist.

"Oh, please don't Draco. It hurts when you call me names," Carmen pouted.

George turned to look at her. "What?"

Carmen gave him a meaningful squeeze and a wink before she pushed him off.

"Carmen-"

"I'm sorry, George!" she said melodramatically, making her movements dramatic and theatrical. "Draco, you understand, don't you? If you won't have a _mudblood_ like me," she whispered, so that only Draco could hear. "I'll just have to _settle_, won't I? You aren't going to tell, are you?"

Okay, so hitting on Draco Malfoy could be potentially horrific, but Carmen was getting a kick out of his reactions to her breath in his ear and her chest pressed to his.

"W-well, so I suppose, I- Ah…"

It was an interesting sensation to get a reaction like that from anyone but George, as Carmen had never even taken a second look at anyone else, much less flirted like she was.

"Aren't you going to punish me, Draco? Haven't I been _bad_?"

"I- I- Shbvj- Se- Sblvl…" Draco turned and ran from the room.

Carmen broke into giggles that soon turned into full blown laughter.

"What was that, Carmen?" George demanded. "What was that?"

"I'm sorry, Sweetie, I'm sorry. Okay, baby? I just wanted to run him off."

"Yeah, see, that was not 'running him off.' You do not 'run guys off' by _seducing_ them!"

Carmen wasn't laughing anymore. "George, you don't really think I like him, do you?"

"It doesn't matter, Carmen! You hit on another guy! Why would you do that?"

"It wasn't serious, George. I didn't mean to make you mad."

"I am mad! I'm angry and I'm jealous and I'm shocked!"

Carmen bit her lip. She hadn't meant to make him angry, she hadn't even been thinking about that, she was just thinking about how to get out of yet more lines. "I'm sorry, George," she whispered.

He sighed. "Are we done studying tonight?"

Carmen looked up at him. "How mad are you at me, scale of one to ten?"

George thought this over for a moment.

"One being how mad I was when I thought you were using a polyjuice potion to become yourself, ten being when you really did use a polyjuice potion to become Harry and told me you loved me."

"Seven."

Carmen winced. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Carmen-" he sighed.

"No, I'm serious. What do you want? Anything. If you're that mad at me, I want to make it up. I will do anything you want, I swear."

George hesitated. Since when did Carmen make offers like that? How was he going to come up with something big enough to utilize this opportunity?

Carmen reached out to him, but withdrew her hand. "Just let me know when you decide, okay?"

George watched her leave and waited a moment before he ran out and back to his house. "Fred!"

"What? Hey, it's only eight! What're you doing here?"

"Okay, Malfoy walked in on me and Carmen and she thought it would be fun to flirt with him and make him leave, right?"

"Sure…"

"And I got really mad because she did it right in front of me, y'know? And she made me the best - offer – ever."

"What offer?"

George grinned. "Anything."

"Anything?"

"Anything I want."

"Anything you want?"

"Anything at all."

"Aren't you supposed to be mad at her?"

"How can I stay mad? She offered me anything! Help me think of what I want!"

Fred looked shocked. "Don't you know?"

George hesitated. "No."

Fred raised his eyebrows suggestively. "You don't-"

"Fred, even anything has it's limits."

Fred sat back thoughtfully. "Well, where _does_ 'anything' end?"

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't include _that_ and what's more she'd probably pummel me if that's what I'd asked for."

Ron, Harry, and Hermione came and sat with them.

"Hey, guys. Asked for what?" Hermione asked.

"Carmen made him mad and offered him anything to make up for it."

George shot him a look.

"Well, you're not going to take that offer, are you?" she asked, appalled.

"Of course he is!" Ron burst.

"Oh, that's disgusting, Ron!

"I'm not taking it in that way! Bloody Hell!" George sighed and rubbed his forehead, wishing the offer had never been made. No, he wouldn't go that far, just that he hadn't asked anyone for help.

"Hey, where'd Harry go?"

"Detention."

"He'd probably be the only one who wouldn't think so dirty about this."

"Untrue," Hermione said. "Everyone will, that's probably how it was intended."

George shot her an icy glare that made her shut her mouth. "I know Carmen. If I even suggested that kind of thing, she'd ship my body parts to countries across the globe. She was _not_ thinking of that."

There was a momentary silence as everyone pondered either what else she could have meant or which countries she would choose and what kind of packaging one would use to ship parts… (A/N hm…)

* * *

"Oh God, please let him not take that the wrong way!" Carmen pleaded into her pillow.

"Who take what which way?" asked Rebecca.

"Holy Toledo, why do you ask so many questions?" Carmen burst.

"What?"

"Stop it! There you go again! Just- Just shut up! It's none of your business!"

Rebecca stared at her in shock. "Are you okay?"

Carmen screamed in frustration and went to leave the house to find Allyssa and Ash, but stopped, remembering that she didn't want to see George, for fear that he had taken "anything" seriously. She knew he was mad at her and she didn't know how he would react when she said no, which she would. And, although it would rip her heart out, she would leave him if she had to.

At the thought of having to leave George, tears began to sting her eyes and she ran back upstairs and into her room.

Rebecca had gone, probably off to complain about Carmen. Carmen hated her house, her house mates, and her room mates, all of it. She hated the yellow and the Badger and having the word "puff" in something that she was referred to as. Most of all she hated the thought of George with any other girl. There was a pang in her heart as she realized that that must have been how George had felt. She spent the next hour kicking herself for being so stupid and careless.

* * *

"Okay, George. You have the opportunity of a lifetime here. What are you gonna do with it?" Lee asked, finally back from his own detention and filled in on the subject.

Harry was still cleaning the Potions room…

George was stumped. He was terrified to ask for something too big, but he didn't want to waste such a great chance.

"Come _on_, George! This is ridiculous! Just _think of something_!" Fred begged.

George shook his head. "I can't risk picking something too big!"

"Why not? The worst she can do is say no!"

"No! You don't understand!"

"What? What do we not understand?" Lee demanded.

"She'll leave me!"

There was a moment of silence.

"She… She wouldn't do that… would she?" Lee asked.

"I wouldn't put it past her," Fred muttered.

"I don't know what I'd do if she left me. I mean, she's been mad at me before, but I don't think she's ever considered it."

"How is it that the only time _you_ got mad at _her_, you're scared she's gonna leave you?"

George shrugged. Somehow, saying it out loud made it seem like she was already gone. His heart felt as though it were exploding.

"Hey, what're you guys doing up? George, are you okay?" Harry asked, climbing through the portrait hole.

Fred and Lee looked up, but George left his head in his hands.

It took only a few minutes to tell Harry what was going on and he knew exactly what to say the second they finished.

"So? Why don't you just ask her what you're allowed to have?"

Good old reliable Harry, the only one they knew who had the sense to think logically.

* * *

"Carmen! Wait up, Love!"

Carmen heard George call her name and paniced, then made a mad dash to the girls bathroom. Once inside she, leaned against the wall, wondering what she was going to do…

"Carmen!"

"George! This is the girl's bathroom!" Carmen yelled, shocked.

"Well, you wouldn't stop so-"

Carmen shoved him out. "You can't follow me into the girl's bathroom, George!"

He held onto her arms. "Why did you run from me?"

"Because I-" Carmen stopped. She couldn't tell George that she was afraid. How could she be afraid of him? She loved him!

"Carmen? Love? Hey, look at me. I need to ask you something. Hey, why are you crying? Don't cry, Carmen. Listen, I know what this is about and I want you to know, I'm not going to ask you for anything you can't give me. Okay, Love? I want you to tell me what I can have, alright? How does that sound? Hey, stop crying! Why are you crying harder? Ssh, calm down, Love!"

Carmen wrapped her arms around George tightly and buried her face in his chest.

"Love, what's the matter? Please, tell me, Carmen. Did I do something?"

As an answer, Carmen yanked him down by his tie again and kissed him roughly. "I love you so much, George Weasley!"

* * *

After class, George tracked Carmen down and wrapped his arms around her lovingly.

"Have you thought about it, Love?"

She nodded. "Mm-hm. I have thought about it. And I know what I'm going to give you. But you have to wait until tonight after dinner. You know where to meet me, don't you?"

"Of course I do. What time?"

"After dinner."

He squeezed her waist. "Yes, but what time?"

Carmen sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. 7:30?"

"Okay." George bent his head and kissed Carmen's neck softly.

"I have to go. I've got… things to do."

"Things? What kind of things are you going to do?"

"You'll find out."

George let Carmen leave his arms and felt completely empty for the second time since he'd met Carmen.

It wasn't that she was gone; it was that they'd been apart so much since the last time they'd studied. He sighed and walked back to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"What's the matter, dear?"

"Nothing. Mugwump."

The portrait swung open and he climbed through the hole miserably and went to sit by the fireplace, where he stayed until dinner.

* * *

"Carmen, you don't have to do this," Ash said, pleadingly.

Carmen shot her best friend a look that said very clearly that she had made up her mind.

Allyssa was busily lighting candles in the empty Transfiguration class room as Ash and Carmen argued over what was going to happen soon enough.

Carmen pulled her robe tighter.

"Promise me."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Ash, you know I-"

"Promise me!"

"I promise that we won't… _do it._ Okay? Happy?"

"No, but I do feel better. And if he pushes you?"

"Mail him to several countries in bubble wrap."

"Good girl. Where's your wand?"

Carmen reached inside of her robe and pulled it off of her hip.

"I still think it's weird that you actually got your hands on those," Allyssa noted.

"Shut up. It wasn't easy. What time is it?"

"Time for us to get out of here," Allyssa said, pulling Ash out. She popped her head back in for a moment to say, "Good luck, have courage!"

"Thanks!"

And with that, Carmen was left alone to wait for George.

* * *

George was waiting outside of the door when he saw Ash and Allyssa come out of the door that lead to the office that also had a door to the classroom. Allyssa grinned at him and winked, giving him a thumbs up. Ash stared daggers at him and looked quite threatening for anyone, especially someone who was 4' 11".

He threw open the door impatiently and found the room full of candles, with Carmen sitting in the center of the room in a red robe.

"Carmen?-"

She bit her lip and stood up.

"Love, you don't-" George shut his mouth when she grabbed his hand and put it on the rope holding the robe closed.

"George, no one but you has ever looked at me in the way that you do and if they did, I would probably have ripped their eyes out. I'm sorry for what I did and this is what I'm going to do to apologize."

"Carmen, I don't know if this is a good idea…" George said, getting a bad feeling about what he might do if this as what he thought it was.

"I trust you."

George swallowed hard and untied the knot. Carmen bit her lip awkwardly as the robe fell open.

Underneath the red fabric was a black bra and panties set that virtually had strings holding them up and together.

He put a hand gently, carefully, on her waist, staring.

"Wh-what do you think?" she asked, as though she were afraid he was going to be disgusted.

"What do I think? Are you kidding, Love? This is the sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life."

"I'm not sexy. Your sexy-meter is backwards."

George laughed and looked her over again. "Can I touch, Love?"

She seemed to think for a moment before nodding.

George slowly put his fingers at the point on the bra where it met in the middle, then ran them down her stomach and along the elastic in the panties. He grabbed her hand and noticed that she was shaking.

"Carmen? Are you okay? Here, put this back on, you must be cold."

"I'm not cold," she said, her lips shivering.

"Then why are you shaking?"

Carmen shook her head and grabbed the robe. "It doesn't matter. I'll put this back on if you want me to.-"

"_Want _you to? Why would I _want_ you to?"

She shook her head and started to pull the red fabric back over her arms.

"Carmen, please don't."

She stopped and let her arms drop along with the rope, looking at the ground.

George slipped his hands under the robe and pulled her close. "If you think I don't want to see you this way, you're mad."

She didn't respond, so George bent and placed a cautious kiss on her neck.

"I love you, Carmen. I love you when you're mad, sad, happy, scared, or anything else you might be. I love your hair," he kissed her hair, "I love your smile," he kissed her cheeks, "I love your eyes," he kissed her eyes, "I love your lips," he kissed her lips, "and I love your body. Don't doubt that, Carmen. Why do you think I call you Love?"

Finally, she cracked a smile and George hugged her tightly.

"I love you too, George, and only you."

"Show me," he whispered, and coaxed a smile from her with a few kisses on her chest and a pinch that made her jump.

* * *

So that's it, y'all. I'll see you later. I'm dry for now, but it's okay. I've got plenty of tacos. I'm really nervous about this chapter. It's kind of… not the kind of stuff I usually put out there, y'know? So bring it on, guys. I need to know what you thought!

Love!


	13. Scheme 13: Meet My Parents 1st Pain

This is written in the future. I don't know how far in the future because I wasn't thinking ahead when I originally wrote this story and don't know when they met or anything so yeah… whatever…

So here's this chapter. Sorry it's been so long. Writing's been hard between all my end-of-year projects and the whole "stressed out over probably taking 10th grade again" thing. You know?

I really hope no one abandoned my story because of the last chapter, because that one's never going to happen again, trust me.

Hope it's lovely!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this crap. Get reading! Review me!

* * *

"Meet your parents?" Carmen asked. It was the first day after George's graduation.

"Yes, Love, I want you to meet my parents. We've been together for to long for you to not meet them."

Carmen shrugged. "Okay, that sounds cool. When?"

George was taken a little bit aback. That was a lot easier than he'd thought it would be.

"Uh, whenever you want. How about I come get you in a week?"

"How are you going to do that?"

"Well, I'll apparate to your house, then we'll go to London and go through the Leaky Cauldron to get to Diagon Alley and from there we'll floo home. I mean, we'll floo to my house."

"Yes, yes, lovely, George. Except that we're already _in_ London and it would be faster if I just called my parents and we went to meet them now."

"What? No! I have to get them ready!"

"What?"

Oops…

That wasn't meant to be said. Yes, he did have to get his family ready in multiple ways. He had to make sure his mother shut her mouth, Fleur, Bill, Charlie, and all the others were there, and, most importantly, he had to curb his father's curiosity.

"Whatever. We're in London _now_, so let's just go floo to your _house_ now!"

George's mouth hung open as Carmen led him out through the barrier into the muggle King's Cross Station.

"B- but, Love! We- we can wait! My- my family has to get ready and- and-"

Carmen turned the gaze upon him that made him shut his mouth instantly. "We're in London. I don't want to travel later. We're doing it _now_."

"B- But… They… Mum…"

Carmen reached up and kissed him. Not just any kiss, it was _the_ kiss. Over the time of their relationship, Carmen has perfected _the_ kiss. It was the one that turned his legs to jelly and made him forget his name and put him in a trance that let her convince him of whatever she said, if only for a few minutes. After _the_ kiss, she could tell him he was a hippogriff and he'd believe it in a heartbeat. In fact, she had, once, as the first test. He almost ate a ferret.

"So can we go now?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay. Good."

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, Baby, I'll see you there. You're going to apparate, aren't you?"

"Uh- What? Hey, Love, no! B-"

"The Burrow!"

George hung his head in his hands and quickly apparated home.

* * *

Carmen coughed as she came out of the fireplace and ran into a solid, warm chest and a pair of arms wrapped around her.

"Please, Love. Give me a week. I want to-"

"George? Fred said you took off with your girlfriend. Where did you go? Did you floo here?" asked a very sweet, confused voice.

Carmen was turned around, still encased in George's arms.

"Who's this?"

"Hi, Mrs.Weasley, I'm Carmen. It's nice to meet you." Carmen's voice was muffled in George's chest.

"Oh! You're Carmen! Oh, George, let the girl go! Let me see her!"

"I don't want to."

"George," Mrs. Weasley said. She sounded very… reprimanding.

"Let me, Sweetie," Carmen said.

"I _really_ don't want to."

"George, please?" Carmen asked, using the voice that she knew worked so well.

His prison released and she turned around.

Mrs.Weasley was a sweet-looking, round, stout woman with hair that was as red as her children's and loving brown eyes.

"Oh, goodness! You're as beautiful as he's told us!"

Carmen shot George a meaningful look and almost burst into laughter at how red his face was. "You told her I was beautiful?"

"You _are_ beautiful."

Carmen turned around, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, dear, you're all George talks about when he's home, you know! He even asked to get a phone so that he could call you! Of course, we couldn't quite afford a telephone. Oh, I'm so glad I'm finally meeting you! Oh, come here, dear, let me look at you!"

Carmen allowed Mrs.Weasley to turn her and look her over for a moment before she got a wicked grin and said, "So what's George like when he's home?"

Mrs.Weasley gave George a beady-eyed look. "He's a menace, just like his brother."

"So he's always a menace?"

"I am not a menace!" George argued.

Carmen and Mrs.Weasley gave George the same look.

"Yes you are, sweetie. You both are. And if you weren't I probably wouldn't be in love with you."

"Oh, dear, don't encourage him, he- Did you say _in love?_"

Carmen nodded, unphased. Didn't everyone know that she was in love with George?

Mrs.Weasley giggled a covered her mouth. "Let me get you some tea, dear. Oh, I'm so pleased!"

Carmen looked at George, a little bit disturbed, but he only shook his head and mouthed, "I told you to wait."

* * *

It was hours before Mr. Weasley got home and by that time, Carmen had become acquainted all of George's other siblings and his one in-law, Fleur. Everyone had come in to meet the girl that George had obsessed over for so long. (They had sent Fred out to apparate to them to tell them about her arrival.)

It was very awkward.

Carmen cleared her throat and looked at George while Fleur went on and on and on about something no one but Bill could decipher through her accent.

"…and zen ze penguin said to ze 'ippo, 'Zat iz not a marble, zat iz my 'usband!'"

Bill and Fleur broke into loud laughter as everyone else looked at each other, confused. Carmen bit her lip for a moment, until she too burst out into laughter with the other two.

"Carmen?" Ginny asked, concerned, since, once she worked out the joke, she saw that it was not funny at all. Maybe in French…

She shook her head, still laughing at the sheer idiocy of the moment.

The door opened and a loud man's voice called, "Good evening, Weasleys!"

"Arthur! Come in here! Come meet Carmen!" Mrs. Weasley called, excited.

Mr.Weasley came into the living room to see whole family and Carmen sitting all around the room.

"Well, hello! We've heard so much about you!"

"So I've heard," Carmen said, slowing her laughter and shooting a look at George.

Mr.Weasley smiled warmly and Carmen felt a surge of thanks that she managed to find someone from such a great family that loved her as much as she loved him.

"So, where are you from, Carmen?"

"I'm from Ramsgate."

"Oh. Oh! You're muggle-born, aren't you?"

"Yes sir."

"Oh!"

"Oh, bloody Hell…"

"What?"

"So you have elekletricty, don't you?"

"Um… yes, yes I do."

Mr. Weasley's eyes twinkled. "Tell me all about it."

Carmen hesitated. "I don't now anything about _e-lec-tri-ci-ty_. Sorry. Uh, I can tell you about… Um… I can tell you about… I really don't know much about anything."

"What is the exact function of a rubber duck?"

"Arthur, please!"

"But Harry never told me!"

"Um, well, we kind of just give them to little kids to play with in the bath."

"Yes, yes, and what do they do with them?"

"I don't know. I never played with one. I did, however, play with plastic battleships. Those are _fun_."

"What's a battleship?"

Carmen grinned. "Well, they're war boats and they missiles and guns and they…"

And so went the next fifteen minutes: Carmen giving all the information she knew about battleships, all of which was inaccurate.

* * *

George's face was redder than his hair when Carmen finally cut the baby stories short and insisted that the two needed to go for a walk.

"So you talk about me when you're home?"

"I talk about you everywhere."

"So you didn't want me to come over because you didn't want them to tell me all that?"

"Mostly. I also wanted to clean up a little. This isn't exactly the place I wanted you to see," he said, looking over his home disdainfully.

Carmen looked up at it. "Why? I think it's cool. My house is all plain and boring and junk. No magic, no garden, nothing. At least your family is happy to see me."

"What? What about your family?"

"They aren't as… _accepting_ as your family."

"I'm sure you're exaggerating. Are you fighting with them?"

"No, why?"

"Then why would you say they don't accept you?"

"Not me, sweetie, you. They aren't going to accept you nearly as easily. In fact, Daniel and Allen think you're just a friend."

"Your brother and your step dad?"

Carmen nodded. "Everyone who knows about you is forbidden to tell them, on pain of death." A hurt expression came across George's face and she kissed his cheek. "It's not that I don't want them to know, baby, it's that if they knew about you, Allen would gather up JC and Bob and Cody and come hunt you down like a mob. According to them, and Daniel, I'm not allowed to date."

George blinked, taken aback. "Wow. We should tell them."

"No!"

"They're going to have to find out sooner or later."

"Later! They can find out later! Like, when I'm seventeen and can move out!"

George grinned mischievously.

"Oh, no you don't George Weasley!"

"Oh yes I do."

"No! Please, George! This is for your own good!"

"If you don't agree to come with me, I'm going to apparate to your house without you. Are you going to come?"

"Yes…" she grumbled.

George led Carmen back into the house and found Fred.

"Fred, we're going to go to Carmen's house. Do you want to come?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

"Mum!" George called.

"Fred, please talk him out of this! My brother and my step dad don't want me dating and he's two years older than me!"

"Mum, we're going to go to Carmen's okay?"

"What? You're leaving already?" She was clearly disappointed.

"Yes, and we may stay the night. If we do, one of us will apparate back for some clothes."

"Alright dear, have fun. And _please_, boys, _stay out of trouble_!"

"Yes, mum."

"Yes, mum."

"Please help me Mrs.We-"

"Into the fireplace, Carmen. Back to Diagon Alley or we go without you."

"No, no, wait. There's a faster way to get to my house."

"There is?"

Carmen nodded. "JC is a wizard. We can use his fireplace. He doesn't live far from me."

Fred and George nodded. "We'll have to floo too then."

"Okay, go to Dragon's Den. Got that? Dragon's Den."

"Dragon's Den," the twins repeated.

"Okay. It's really creepy when you do that. Let me go first. Wait thirty seconds, then come. I have to explain."

"Okay."

Carmen kissed George and stepped into the fireplace, throwing down her handful of powder, yelling the name.

When she stepped out, coughing and waving at smoke, she heard the voices of four confused men.

"Mina? What're you doing here?"

_Oh, God, help me. They're all here! _"I needed to use your fireplace. Sorry, JC. Hey, listen, guys. There are two guys following right behind me and I don't want you to freak because one of them-"

"Wait, wait. You told people to come to my house?"

"It was either that or travel from London. Listen-"

"One of them is what?" Allen asked.

Suddenly, the fireplace lit and deposited one of the twins in a flurry of ash, coughing, and then the other right behind him.

"That was not thirty seconds!"

"Sorry, Mum was yelling at us for cutting you off earlier."

"I hope she doesn't follow us." (_A/N BTW, I'm switching POVs here. I want to get George's POV on meeting Carmen's family.)_

George surveyed the room. There were four men, young, but… huge. Tall and powerful and intimidating One looked quite like an older, buffer, _meaner,_ male form of Carmen with short brown hair. Another was a rather heavy, Spanish man with wavy, short, black hair, black eyes, and glasses. The next was tall and thin with all black clothes on, black eyes, and spiked black hair. He had a very crazy look in his eyes that made George rather nervous. The last dressed something like a cowboy with glasses and cropped, light hair and boots. A cowboy hat sat next to him on the arm of the couch.

Carmen looked terrified and when she spoke, it was high and nervous.

"Boys, this is JC," the Spanish man, "Allen," the man who looked like Carmen, "Bob," the scary, crazy looking man, "and Cody," the cowboy. "Guys, this is Fred and George."

"Hi, I'm Carmen's b-"

"BEST friend in the _whole world!_ I just, he's so…" Carmen resorted to laughing madly, attempting to cover. "We- We're just gonna run down to the house and see Momma and Daniel. OkaySeeYaBye!"

Carmen started trying to pull them to the door.

"What's your hurry, Mina? Sit down, stay awhile, let us meet your friends," Allen said.

"Yeah, we wanna meet your friends," Bob agreed, a wicked grin in place.

"Oh, uh, nope. Gotta run. Gotta go-"

"You boys want a butterbeer?" JC asked.

"Here ya' go," Cody said, opening and handing them ones without waiting for an answer. There was something odd about the way he opened them…

"No, we-"

"Sit down, Carmen," Allen ordered.

Without another word, Carmen sat down beside Cody on the couch.

"Take a seat, boys."

Fred sat down in the chair beside Allen and George took the other seat on the couch, between Carmen and Bob, who gave him a frightening look.

"What's the matter?" Bob asked, his voice hysteric. "Don't you trust us? Drink up!"

The twins hurriedly gulped from the bottles nervously.

Allen leaned forward, eyes trained on George. "Now, what were you going to say, before Carmen interrupted you?"

"I'm her…"

Carmen shot George a fearful look. It almost made him want to tell them her lie, but he couldn't. "I'm her boyfriend," he found himself saying.

All four boys leaned in threateningly and Carmen dropped her face into her hands.

"You are so _stupid_, George! Allen, please listen to me! He's a nice guy! George, tell them you're nice."

"I'm nice."

"See? He's nice!"

"You lied a second ago, who's to say you aren't lying now?"

"Oh, but I'm not lying! Oh, crap. George! Run for it!"

George had barely heard the words escape from her lips when he was caught in the steel cage of someone's arms.

"See, I _know_ you aren't lying. You _can't_ lie, can you, George?"

"No."

Bob had caught him around the chest and was holding him place while Allen stood up and rolled up his sleeves to show bulging muscles that strained his sleeves and JC began to twirl his wand, then shoot ropes out to strap Fred to the chair. Cody was holding Carmen back and grinning.

"Oh, not veriteserum! Do you have a surplus of uncommon potions or something, JC? Allen, please don't do this!" Carmen begged.

Allen frowned and stepped closer. "You're dating my sister, hm?"

"Y- Yes…"

Allen looked him in the eye with a glare that could put Snape to shame. "You realize that this is my baby sister, don't you? I intend to take care of her and if anything happens to her, _you die._"

Bob's grip tightened and George thought he'd never breathe again. "Maybe we should castrate him, just in case."

"Allen!"

"Carmen and I have never done anything. You can trust us."

Allen leaned in close to George's face, still glaring. "Have you kissed my sister?"

"Yes."

Squeeze.

"Have you seen her naked?"

"No."

Allen's eyes narrowed. "Have you ever touched my sister inappropriately?"

"Define inappropriately…" Carmen said quickly.

Allen's eyes flared. "Have touched her in any place that is not allowed to see sun?"

"By my law or by governmental law?"

"Carmen, shut up!"

George was biting back his answer.

"Have you ever touched her?" JC demanded.

"Yes."

Squeeze. And then a hand at his throat.

"Allen, if you hurt him, I will never forgive you!" Carmen screamed, thrashing against Cody dangerously.

"So?"

"Allen, I love him and if you hurt him and make him leave, I am going to run away and you _know_ that is the truth! It will be _your_ fault and I will make sure _everyone_ knows it!"

Allen let go and looked at Carmen, shocked. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"Allen, it's one thing to kid around and it's fine to pick on me and my friends, but when you hurt someone, you can't go back."

"Did you say that you love him?"

"Yes."

Allen sighed, resigned. "Bob, Cody."

The two men let go somewhat reluctantly.

"Mina, how could you keep this from us?"

"Did you miss the part where you tried to strangle my boyfriend?"

"We're just trying to look out for you."

"By _strangling_ my _boyfriend_?"

Allen shook his head. "I wasn't really going to hurt him."

Carmen sat back and crossed her arms huffily.

"So what are you doing here?"

Carmen didn't answer, just stood up and started angrily to the door.

Allen caught her arm. "Come on, Mina, we were just having a little fun. It's your first boyfriend, how is a big brother supposed to react?"

"I don't know, Allen, maybe with a threat or a glare or a bit of bullying, not attempted murder!"

"Honestly, Carmen, I can't say as I blame him."

Carmen rounded on George. "No! You can't take his side! You are not allowed!"

"You have a little sister, don't you?"

"Yes."

Allen sighed. "Fine, fine. Go on, see Momma and Daniel. Have fun. JC, do you mind?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry." JC pointed his wand and the ropes shot back into it.

"See you."

Carmen dragged George and Fred out.

"Well, that as interesting…" Fred said, once outside.

Carmen pulled them into a forest that grew thick almost instantly and pinned George to a tree, kissing him roughly.

"Oh, come on!" Fred protested.

"I told you not to tell them!"

"I didn't have a lot of choice, Love."

Carmen frowned, clearly not satisfied with that excuse, and kissed him again, softer this time. "Promise you won't let any of them scare you away?"

"I promise."

"On your life."

"On my life."

"My life too."

"And your life. I promise on your life, my life, Fred, Ginny, and Ron's life, that I won't leave you, even if they drag me naked through nettles and into the ocean."

"Good." Carmen looked nervous, but reassured as she took a deep breath and led the way through the thick trees for what seemed like forever, and out to a road.

George looked around at the neighborhood. It was so… _plain_. It was the dream neighborhood. There were children playing, parents chatting, students studying on the lawns. The houses were all the same and the lawns were all clean and perfect.

Carmen led the twins through the neighborhood, holding George's sleeve and greeting all the kids, friendly and excited, but with a shaking voice. They went around the corner and down two blocks before Carmen paused.

"Are we here?" George asked as Fred continued to marvel at the muggle things. George was too distracted to marvel, to nervous. He could marvel later. Now he needed to concentrate on not getting himself killed.

"No, we're just at the street. I'm scrad. I'm scrayed. I'm sraced. I don't wanna do this."

"Paycha!" yelled a boy George's age, passing by in a car.

"I love you Shawn!" she called back, sounding passionate and happy, unlike the nervous and scared she had been and went back to.

George felt a surge of jealousy. "Who's Shawn?"

"Oh, he lives down the street. Old friend, you know. He's sort of like a brother-meets-drug dealer-meets-best friend-meets-annoying neighbor-meets-mooch. We aren't close anymore.

"And they call you Paycha?"

"Don't… ask…" Carmen said, pulling him further down the road.

They stopped in front of a light brick house with summer green eves and two yellow, metal lawn chairs. There were too many trees in the yard and a few bald spots.

This neighborhood was a far cry from the first one they'd seen. It wasn't nearly as perfect and the houses didn't match at all. The yards had bare spots and cars sitting randomly in driveways or grass.

Carmen tugged George's sleeve and led the way to the house slowly.

"Momma! I'm home!"

"Mina?" A pretty woman who looked disturbingly like an older version of Carmen came out. Her hair was different… darker, finer, and curlier, and flecked with enough silver to make it seem perpetually in the light. She wore glasses, seemed more… delicate, and was slightly shorter than Carmen.

"Hi, Baby! I thought you were going to be at George's for a while!"

"Nope, we came home," Carmen said as they exchanged a hug.

The woman held Carmen at arms length and looked her over, sighing with twinkling eyes. Her gaze moved over Carmen's shoulder to the twins.

"Hello, I suppose you'd be George and Fred? I'm Carmen's mother; you can call me Miss Amellia. Who's who?"

George grinned at Carmen and ran a hand through her hair.

Miss Amellia laughed and nodded. "It's nice to meet you, George, Fred. Now then, George, don't touch her again until I've smoothed this over with Daniel, alright?"

George felt his face fall. Not allowed to touch Carmen? What kind of rule was that?

Carmen turned and kissed George lightly on the cheek and then stepped around behind her mother and draped herself over the woman's shoulders.

"He looks… empty," Miss Amellia commented.

"Hey! What's this?" Fred interrupted, excited.

"A refrigerator…"

"What does it do?"

"Keeps food cold…"

"And what's this one?"

"A toaster…"

Carmen sighed. "I'll send some things home with you for your dad. You can play with them then, okay?"

"Okay."

Carmen looked pointedly at her mother. "So what do we do?"

"Nothing we _can_ do. We just have to wait it out. You'll be seventeen soon enough."

"Momma!"

She laughed and walked to the freezer, shrugging her daughter off of her shoulders and pulling out a package of hamburger meat.

"We're gonna go try to find something to send home with them, okay?"

"In your room? Alone? With your boyfriend? You know, I am your mother and I still want to take care of you. You're my baby."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Momma, it's fine. You know me better than that and Fred will be in there."

Fred mumbled something about never stopping them before and George elbowed him.

"No ma'am. You stay in the living room."

"But Momma! I wanted to show them Robosapien and my computer and my radio!"

She glared at them both, then turned to look at Fred, looking much more like a hawk now. (Or McGonagall, as it were.) "Keep an eye on them." He nodded and she turned to Carmen. "The door stays open and until I've talked to Daniel." Carmen saluted and she turned finally to George. "You are not to _touch my daughter_!" George nodded and headed to Carmen's room for the first time.

* * *

Okay, I'm splitting this chapter up now, because it's getting kind of long-ish and it's been a while since I uploaded a new chapter. I hope you all come back for seconds on this one!

**REVIEW! DO IT!** I'll love you forever and you'll get a taco and everything will be grand and magnificent and I can go_ return my shotgun…_

What? Who said that? Ohemmgee, Brandi! Don't say that!

(Has anyone noticed that the Victoria's Secret advertisers are retarted? Their lymmerick didn't even rhyme! Idiots...)


	14. Scheme 14: Meet My Parents, 2nd Pain

Okay, for those of you who don't have Victoria's Secret commercials, this is the poem:

There was a young angel with wings

Who could fly without wires or strings

She put in this bra

Said "I'm going out now,

"No wires, no worries, just wings"

See? It doesn't rhyme. Bloody stupid advertisers! ("bra" and "now" do not rhyme daggit!)

And Mina is short for Carmen. (Men, Mina? Get it?)

This story has come along way from the original 8 chapters it originally had! You guys can't imagine how great this is! I have 20 alerts on this story and 18 favs! Yay!

So here's the next chapter, guys! I hope you like it!

**Disclaimer:** If it ever belonged to anyone else, then it really isn't mine. I promise!

* * *

George didn't know what he had expected Carmen's room to be like, but what it was wasn't it. Yet it seemed to hold the very essence of Carmen in it.

First off, the air was thick and muggy, which he knew she must despise.

There was nothing of the likes of a theme and it was complete chaos everywhere. The neatest thing was the bookshelf, which wasn't very neat anyway. A few swords lay randomly about. On the wall opposite the bed, there was a long dresser and a circle with twelve round pictures of animals. The dresser was piled with clean clothes and most things were covered in dust. (Her mom didn't clean in there when she was gone.)

Carmen flipped a switch on the wall and the fan on the ceiling began to circulate the hot air. She then laid over the bed and pulled a floor lamp to her, turning a knob and flooding light into the room.

With the addition of the light, George could see her blush.

"Why are you blushing, Love?"

"Don't call me that!" she napped, casting a wary glance at the door. "Don't worry about it! Oh crap!" She leapt at the wall and pulled down a board with pictures stuck behind a grid of lace.

"What's that?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, Love-"

"Don't call me Love!"

Fred grabbed it, curious and excited, but his grin soon faded as he saw it was just an ordinary picture board. It was covered on pictures of Ash, Allyssa, George, Allen, her parents, and a lot of people George didn't recognize. He did, however notice that the whole board was dominated by pictures of himself.

"When did you take these? Why are they still?"

"I–I had a camera last year. Don't you remember? My mom's best friend wanted to make a scrapbook for me. Those are the leftover pictures…"

"Did you really take that many pictures of me?"

"Maybe…"

George reached down to kiss her cheek, but Fred grabbed his collar and pulled him back up straight.

"Nope. Sorry, George. I'm not risking her dad coming in here and eventually mistaking you for me. We don't know how he's going to react and I don't want to chance it."

Carmen shook her head and flipped backward off of the bed, then sttod up and started to dig in the pile of stuff on the dresser, then pulled out something large and black and white.

"What's that?"

"It's a Robosapien. Hand me that remote."

The twins looked at each other, confused. "Remote?" they asked on unison.

Carmen rolled her eyes and pointed to a black and white thing with buttons on top of the bookshelf.

Fred picked it up and looked at it, then tossed it to her. "What's it do?"

"This." Carmen pushed a button and the thing came to life. "It's a robot."

They played for awhile with Marcus the Robosapien until Carmen decided that they should watch TV. The twins were sufficiently amused with the picture-box for awhile while Carmen laid down on the bed behind them and fell asleep holding George's hand.

* * *

"Carmen? Carmen? Is Carmen awake?"

George tore away from the "TV" to look down at her. Carmen was fast asleep, holding his arm to her chest like a doll.

"No."

"Well, wake her up and tell her that Shawn's here."

George waited for Ms. Amellia to leave before he kissed Carmen's forehead. "It's time to wake up, Love," he whispered, shaking her shoulder.

"Love?" asked a boys voice, awed.

The twins looked up from their respective distractions and saw a boy, rather short, with a dark brown goatee, badly-dyed black hair, and only one striking blue eye visible. The other was hidden behind a curtain of hair.

"Who're you?" Fred asked.

"Shawn. Did you just call Paycha '_Love'_?"

"Ye– no. Wait. What do you know?"

"So you're George, right?"

"Yes."

Shawn's eyes scanned him over and appraised him. He humphed and walked to the bed. "Paycha, get up," he said, shaking her roughly.

Carmen moaned in protest and rolled over, dragging George over top of her backwards.

"Love, get up, this isn't very comfortable."

Shawn grabbed Carmen's shoulder and shook violently.

"Wha-at?" she demanded angrily.

"_This_ is _George?_ He's kind of… wimpy for you, isn't he?"

Carmen's face twisted into a sneer. "Haha, very funny. Shawn, this is Fred and George. Guys, this is Shawn. Shawn, shut up or I'm going to castrate you with a spoon."

"You will not, you won't _touch_ my balls."

"I'll hire someone. Malfoy, maybe."

"Malfoy's a pansy. Crabbe and Goyle could do it, since they probably suck Malfoy's all th–"

Carmen woke up fully and decked Shawn in the chest. He coughed, but laughed all the same, rubbing his chest where she'd hit him.

"I hope that bruises, you jerk."

"You always leave bruises, on me."

Carmen pulled back to punch again, but let it go, grinning.

Shawn looked at George again. "Has she bruised you yet?"

"Yes."

"Sorry about that, by the way," she said, blushing. "I didn't mean to."

"It's alright."

Shawn humphed again and frowned. "This can't be George. You told me he was cool. He just looks like a nerd to me."

"You've seen pictures of him, you dweeb! Ksh. Whatever, let's go for a walk. I need air."

Carmen turned everything off and closed the door behind her, leading the three boys out of her room.

Before long, they came to a small park. Carmen immediately sat on the merry-go-round.

"Ge-eor-rge! Come spin me!"

George and Shawn both went forward and grabbed a bar.

"I spin faster."

"She called for me."

"I'm her best friend."

"I'm her boyfriend."

"You're scrawny."

"You're short."

"Come _on_! Some one spin the stupid thing! It doesn't freaking matter!"

George and Shawn pulled in opposite directions to build momentum, only for the thing not to move at all.

"You guys are stupid! George, get on with me, Shawn, you push it. Seriously, do I have to tell you exactly what to do all the time, you idiot? How do you survive when I'm at school?"

George got on and, shooting Shawn a dirty look, kissed Carmen roughly. She didn't argue.

Shawn made a face and spun the merry-go-round as fast as he could, forcing the kiss to break. George would have to admit, it was going very, very fast.

Carmen was laughed very loudly and held onto the bars on either side of her. George, for extra protection (among other reasons) wrapped his arms around her.

Finally, they slowed to a stop and Carmen, laughing, face flushed with excitement and hair windswept, stumbled off the toy.

"Can you walk, Paycha?"

"Uh-huh," she laughed, stumbling around.

"You look drunk!"

Both of them started to laugh and Carmen grabbed his shoulder for support.

George felt a surge of jealousy. The two of them were so comfortable together. They acted as though they were more than…

Carmen straightened out when the dizziness finally wore off and she stopped laughing. She suddenly turned to Shawn, a soft look in her eye. "I missed you, Shawn."

Shawn grabbed her around the shoulders and hugged her tightly. "It's not the same without you, Paycha."

"Hey, what's Paycha?" Fred asked, finally speaking from his spot on the jungle gym.

Carmen sighed. "Well, I used to have this nametag patch on my purse that said 'Psycho' in cursive. This girl came up to the mall and she couldn't read cursive, and she thought it said 'Paycha.' Well, I told Shawn and he was having trouble remembering my name anyway, so he called me Paycha. It just sort of stuck."

Shawn clapped her on the back and she smiled, shouldering him.

"We should get back," George said.

Carmen nodded and grabbed his hand to lead him back to her house, holding it very tightly all the way there.

* * *

"Hey, what time is it?" Shawn asked as they reached Carmen's house.

"About 3, why?"

"I gotta go. I've got work in an hour."

"Kay, see ya'," Carmen gave him a tight hug and he got in his car and left. She turned to George, smiling. "He's a mess, isn't he?"

"A mess…"

"What? What's wrong, George?"

"Nothing."

Carmen sighed and wrapped her arms around George's waist. "Baby, you don't think there's anything with me and Shawn, do you?"

George looked away and didn't answer.

"I promise, there's not, okay? Shawn and I are just friends and that's all we'll ever be."

George looked down at her, pouting.

"I love you."

"I love you too," George said, leaning down and kissing Carmen softly.

They heard a door open and Carmen's mother yell, "Carmen! George!"

The kiss broke abruptly and they looked up to see both of Carmen's parents at the edge of the garage, shocked.

_(A/N I should totally end it here! But I won't…)

* * *

_

They were sitting at the dining room table, George and Carmen holding hands and Carmen's parents doing the same.

"Well," Daniel said, and stopped there, unable to think of what to say. He wasn't too tall, with gray hair, tan skin, and sparkling blue eyes. When he talked something went funny in his voice.

"Daniel, um, this…"

"Baby, Carmen and George…"

Daniel looked up at George. "You're a wizard then?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you've graduated?"

"Yes, sir."

Daniel nodded. "Well, take care of my little girl. She's very special."

Carmen and Ms. Amellia's mouth's dropped open.

"That's _it_?" Ms. Amellia asked, shocked.

"Yes. What am I going to do, forbid them from dating? Carmen is old enough to make good decisions."

"Well, that was anticlimactic, wasn't it?" Carmen asked. "All that for nothing."

Daniel stood up and walked to George, extending a hand to shake. "It's good to meet you, young man. We hope to see you again. Are you two staying for dinner?"

* * *

You all hate me now, right? Sorry, but that's just how it goes. This isn't the end, I promise. I'll be going back to school sometimes, too, (In the story, I mean. I'll write more school chapters.) and I'm thinking about a wedding chapter, but I want some feedback before I do it. What do y'all think? Message and review and all that! You'll get a complementary taco! Yay! 


	15. Scheme 15: Meet My Parents, 3rd Pain

Sorry guys, but I really have a good reason! I wrote scheme 15, then I decided that I wanted another meet my parents chappy, so I wrote it. So the next chapter is written, but I'm not uploading it just yet. I'm going to make you all wait and suffer. SUFFER! HAHAHA! And the twenty-one of you who have this story faved (Yes, that's right, twenty one favs! Woot!) had better freaking review!

Okay, I'm not posting the next chapter until I get just ONE more review. Is that so much? Seriously. There are at LEAST 21 people reading this story faithfully and I can't get 5 freaking reviews? If anyone really wants the next chapter up, make someone review. Straight. Freaking. Up.

**Disclaimer: **I'm afraid it isn't mine… darn…

George nudged his brother awake.

"What?"

"Hey, did you get a weird feeling from that Shawn guy?"

"I get the feeling right now that we should be sleeping."

George rolled his eyes. "This is more important than sleep! Did you?"

Fred rolled over and looked at his brother in the dark. "Do you want to look into it in the morning?"

"No."

Fred sighed and slid out of the stiff bed. "Let's go then."

George grinned and slipped his shoes on as well.

The twins crept through the dark house quietly and opened the door as quietly as possible.

"Where are we going?" Fred asked through a yawn.

"He lives down the road."

"And? You know his address or something?"

George shook his head. "She pointed it out on the way here"

Fred nodded. "So how are we going to get in? And what, exactly are we going to do there?"

George hesitated. "Is Harry at the Dursley's place still?"

"No, he's staying at home for a while. Why?"

George looked around and dashed into a nearby thick of trees, followed by a loud crack. A few moments later, there was a similar crack and he emerged carrying a cloak.

"You're abusing this thing, George. Really."

"Cram it and get under here!"

Fred sighed and hid underneath the cloak with his brother.

Carmen woke up to a ridiculously loud banging on her window.

"Wha-at?" she groaned loudly, opening her window.

"Paycha! I just saw something… something… Paycha your boyfriend just disappeared and then reappeared! We have to do something!"

Carmen was completely awake by then. "Uh, I don't know… Ah, let's, uh… I'll meet you outside, okay?"

"Hurry!"

She shut the window and ran into the spare bedroom where Fred and George were supposed to be.

"Oh, God, help us!" she breathed as she ran into her parents' room. "Parents, George did something stupid so I have to go fix it. I know it's late, but this is very, _very_ important. Is it okay?"

"No."

"George may have exposed magic and ruined my entire life. Can I go try to fix it?"

"Mmsure… Go get 'em, tiger."

"Mmshmarleshmm…"

Carmen ran back to her room and threw on a pair of shoes, then ran out the front door with her wand, fully prepared to either explain to her best friend that she was a witch, or erase the memory from him completely.

"Okay Shawn, I know–"

"Paycha, you should've seen it! There was this loud crack and he was _gone_ and then there was another one and he was back and then he ran off into the street and I followed him really and I was all quiet and then him and Fred DISAPPEARED in the middle of the street and–"

"Shawn."

"And he–"

"Shawn!"

"But he–"

"_Shawn_! Take a breath. Take a very… deep… breath… Okay. Are you calm?"

"Paycha, he–"

"No, listen. I know about all that."

"WHAT?"

"_Can you shut your fat mouth for just a freaking second?"_

Shawn finally quieted and Carmen sighed, taking him by the arm and dragging him down the road toward his house.

"George is a wizard."

Shawn burst into a fresh bout of questions until Carmen finally took the initiative to take out her wand and point it at him.

"And I'm a witch."

Shawn's jaw dropped.

"I go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry every year, not Francois Academy for the Gifted."

"I knew you weren't gifted!"

"Can it, will you? Gyah!" Carmen waited a moment and took a deep breath. "Shawn, you have to stop freaking out. It's not a big thing. Okay, well, I guess it is kind of a big thing, but you have to understand that this is just something that we were born with.–"

"Paycha, you're missing the point! Your _boyfriend_ is a _freak_! He can disappear and reappear and then disappear again!"

"Shawn, he's not a freak, he's a wizard! And I'm a witch! Will you freaking listen?"

"I mean, he's just– I mean… Do you even know what this means? He's a _circus freak_! Don't you get it? What if he–"

"Shawn! Shut up! He's not a circus freak! Do you even hear what I'm saying? He – is – a – wizard. George and Fred come from a family of magic and – oh, who cares? Ob- Wait. Crap! I can't do this!"

"Do what?"

"Erase your memory. I'm not old enough. I could be expelled for it. Where did George go?"

"I told you! He disappeared! How should I know?"

Carmen sighed and looked down the street. "Now, If I know George…"

"What? If you know George what?"

Carmen grabbed Shawn's wrist and dragged him down the street and stopped in front of Shawn's house.

"Paycha–"

"George!" she hissed angrily. "George Weasley, do you realize what you have done, you _idiot_?"

The twins appeared in the yard suddenly.

"Carmen, why are you with him in the middle of the night out here? Do you know what time it is? Do your parents know where you are? How long have you been out here with him?"

"George, he saw you apparate. You have to erase his memory."

"What? No! No erasing! _Get away from me, you freak of nature!"_ Shawn shouted, taking off into the tiny thick of trees he'd seen George disappear from.

Carmen sighed and turned to glare angrily at George. "What are you doing out here?"

"Well, he… I just… He seemed…"

"Oh, come on, George! Fred, are you out here for what I think you're out here for?"

"Uh… Yeah… I think so…"

Carmen slapped her forehead angrily. "George, what did you think was going on? Did you think I was over at his house getting high or something?"

"No! No, that's not it, Love! I swear! I just… I don't trust him…"

Carmen glared at George for a moment, then turned on her heel. "Come on, we have to go make my best muggle friend forget that he knows about magic."

"I'm sorry, Love," George muttered into her neck, wrapping his arms around her.

Carmen shrugged him off and headed after Shawn. "Come on. We have to fix this."

Shawn was found at three AM hiding behind a nearby grocery store.

Carmen darted forward and grabbed him around the middle from behind. "Shawn! Calm down! Listen!"

"No! You're not going to do this! Don't–"

"Shawn, calm down!"

"Ow! Don't throw me around like that!"

"Well, if you'd freaking calm down, I wouldn't have to!"

"Augh! My head!"

"George! Fred! Someone wipe his memory!"

"_Obliviate_!"

The fighting ceased and Carmen and Shawn looked up at the twins.

"Who are you?"

"What have you done?"

"What have I done?" both twins said at once.

George knelt beside Carmen and turned her face to him.

"Uh, seriously. Who are you?"

"Oh no! George, what are we going to do?"

"Are you George?"

"Paycha, are you okay?"

"Am I Paycha? That's a funny name."

"Carmen, do you know who we are?"

"Wait, I'm confused. Am I Carmen or Paycha?"

"Both," Shawn said. "Paycha, do you know who your boyfriend is?"

"Is it you?" Carmen looked him over. "You're not very cute." She looked around to George. "I like you. Is it you?"

"Yes, it is."

"Yay!"

There was a deafening crack as Fred disapparated.

"Ack! He disappeared! Holy crap! Where'd he go?"

"Exactly!"

George shoved Shawn. "Shut up! This is bigger than our apparating! Carmen, Love, do you remember anything? Do you remember anything at all?"

"I remember… Ooh! I know that you're my boyfriend and I'm Carmen and Paycha!"

"Okay… That doesn't really count, since we just told you that. Do you remember anything we haven't told you? Do you remember who he is?"

Carmen looked at Shawn and screwed up her face in concentration. "He is… Uh… Nope, I don't know who he is. Sorry. Should I?"

George bent and put his heads in Carmen's lap. "Love, I'm sorry! Please remember! Please just say you're pretending and you remember! Please!"

"Okay. I'm pretending and I remember."

"Paycha, it doesn't count if it isn't true."

Carmen pursed her lips. "Oh. Sorry."

George looked up into Carmen's eyes and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, her eyes were closed and she looked very surprised.

"Love?"

"You are _definitely_ my boyfriend…" she muttered.

George grinned and kissed her forehead. "At least I know you're still the same person, even if you don't know who you are."

"Yes I do! I'm Carmen-Paycha!" Carmen said, smiling largely, as though she were the most brilliant girl in the universe.

George hugged Carmen tightly. "I'm so sorry, Love. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what? What did you do?"

George shook his head. "It's my fault that you don't remember me. I hit you with the spell that made you lose your memory. I'm so sorry, Love. I'm so sorry."

Carmen put her arms around George. "Look, I don't know you, and I don't know what happened, but I'm sure it's not your fault. And even if it _is_ your fault, I forgive you. Does that make you feel any better?"

George laughed. _She is _such_ a Hufflepuff_, he thought, and buried his face in her neck.

Shawn's memory was erased as soon as the ministry found out about the incident. After Shawn's retelling of the story, it was decided that it was, in fact, not George's fault that he outed magic entirely.

In the mean time, Carmen had been taken to St. Mungo's.

"So… What you're saying is that you were trying to erase the memory of some muggle at the same time as your brother, but you hit your girlfriend and erased her memory?"

"Yeah."

"That's it."

The healer looked from Fred, to George, to Carmen.

"Are you gonna fix me?"

The healer sighed. "Yes, I'm going to fix you. You two had better be glad the damage isn't more severe. And be more careful next time you try to cast a spell like this! _Recorode_!"

The huge flash of neon purple light dimmed to show Carmen thrown backwards off of her bed.

"Carmen!"

Carmen sat up and looked around. "Ow… Uh, did what I think just happened really just happen?"

George squirmed uncomfortably. "Y-yes…"

"Oh. Okay then." Carmen reached up and smacked him in the head, then jumped up and smacked Fred before he could get away. "You morons! Be more careful when you're aiming those things!"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"Love, please don't be angry!"

"Why shouldn't I be angry? You spied on one of my best friends and erased my memory! Why were spying on Shawn?"

George looked down. "He… I thought… He acted like he…"

"He acts like he likes you, Carmen," Fred answered.

Carmen sighed. "George, I've known Shawn for years. He's always acted that way! You're so stupid, George…" Carmen kissed him lightly.

"So… He's not… You two have never…"

"No, we haven't and we never would. He's never treated his girlfriends the way he treats me. I'm just one of the guys to him. Well, kind of. I can't believe you were jealous. And you, Fred! You let him go out there? You let him spy on him?"

Fred looked uncomfortable. "Er… No… Of course I didn't what gave you that idea?"

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go home. I'm tired."

"Whatever you say, Love," George said, taking Carmen's hand.

Well, there it is, folks. Hope it was lovely. The faster you review, the faster the next chapter gets uploaded! Hurry! If you don't review quickly, your taco could get stale!


	16. Scheme 16: It's Not Stalking

What is this crap, huh? What happened to all my reviews? Ah, well, Thanks to those who _did_ review! Here's the next chappy! Hope it's tasty…

Also, you guys had better freaking love me! I'm not uploading the next chapter unitl I get at least 5 reviews on this one! I'm serious, guys! I'm not gonna keel over and post like I did just now! No, I didn't even get 5 reviews on the last chappy! How pathetic is that?

I love you guys anyway, though...

Enough ranting! Onward!To the story!

**Disclaimer:** Who told you I owned it? They LIED!

* * *

"Mr. Weasley? Are you listening to me? 

George tore his eyes from the window to look up at the Transfiguration teacher.

"Huh?"

"I asked you if you could please transform your pocket watch into a pot of tea!"

"Oh. Uh…" Hadn't Carmen insisted that he know how to do this? "_Samikina Marlinda_," he said smoothly, waving his wand and turning the pocket watch into a steaming pot of tea.

The smell reminded him of their rendezvous in the kitchen two weeks ago, when he'd learned that she was very particular about how her tea was brewed.

"Five points, Mr. Weasley. Good work."

George looked back out the window and zoned out again. It was raining and he had learned that if he sat in exactly the right spot in class, he could see the Care of Magical Creatures class.

George caught sight of Carmen and smiled. He suddenly had a great love for Hogwarts' uniforms and Carmen's hatred for those wretched vests.

The sky showed no signs of letting up anytime soon… Maybe, if he was sneaky, he could get out there before class ended…

George looked over at Fred and grinned.

Fred shook his head and nodded his head to the door, his eyes making the gesture into a question.

George nodded and reached into his bag. Hoorah for Nosebleed Nougats.

* * *

Carmen twirled about in the rain. It was great to be outside in it. All the teachers insisted that she would "catch her death, " but she was in class right now. They couldn't say squat. 

While everyone gathered under the trees to keep dry and get a good look at their next assignment (whatever it was), Carmen plopped down in the mud and squinted up into the clouds, letting rain fall into her open mouth.

A hand met with her waist softly and caressed.

She yelped loudly and jumped sideways.

The entire class looked up at her and she smiled, trying to wave off her reaction. Eventually, they returned to the lesson.

Another hand grabbed her bum tightly.

She jumped again and bit back a squeal. "George!" she reprimanded.

No response.

"George Weasley, speak to me!"

Arms wrapped around her and lips met her neck softly. "At your service, Love."

"What are you doing?" Carmen snapped.

"Well, you looked so marvelous in the rain and I wanted a better look. The Transfiguration tower is too high. I don't get a good view."

Carmen huffed and started towards the group. "Go back to class!" she hissed.

* * *

Carmen headed to her next class blushing madly. There had been too many incidents during that hour when she had burst out with a squeal for no reason anyone could see. 

"George!" she hissed, "Go back to class! Leave me alon- AI!"

The people around her looked up questioningly.

Carmen's face flushed and she put her head down, hurrying through the halls. Maybe if she was quick, she could lose her invisible stalker…

When she reached Charms, she sighed in relief. There was no sign of George anywhere. She was just getting her things out when Graphite came in and sat down next to her.

_Oh, crap. Here it goes…_

"Greetings… Carmen…"

Carmen breathed in her patience. She would need all of it. "Hi… Graphite." Saying the "name" made her eye twitch.

"How was your last class?"

"Dreadful," she said through her teeth.

"How exciting."

"Not exactly."

Graphite opened her mouth, but "_Feliz Navidad"_ played from her mouth loudly and Carmen's eyes shot wide open and she slapped her forehead.

Graphite slapped her hands over her mouth, raccoon eyes wide.

"Oh. My. Gosh." Carmen took a deep breath and drew her wand. "_Mudo_!" she hissed. "Just give me a second, Graphite. I'll take care of this."

Graphite nodded and Carmen stood up and whispered, "_Accio_ left shoe."

There was a clunk and a size 13 black shoe flew out of the corner and into her hand. Setting her jaw angrily, she stalked into the corner and grabbed an invisible handful of cloak and robes, dragging it out into the hall.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, throwing him into an empty classroom and holding onto the invisibility cloak.

George was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Just having a little fun, Love. I thought it was funny."

"It was not funny! I don't know the counter-jinx!"

George shook his head. "Ah, but I do, Love. Not to worry. Now, if I can just have the cloak back–"

Carmen snatched it away. "No you may not! You're just going to follow me around more! Stop stalking me!"

"Aw, you aren't angry. I know you aren't angry."

"Yes I am!"

"No you aren't. Are you ever angry when I touch your waist like this? And when I kiss your cheek like this?"

Carmen's breath hitched. "That- That's not the same!"

"Yes it is. Are you angry when I hold you this way?"

"Ye- Yes, I a…"

"And when I kiss you like this?"

George's lips met Carmen's tenderly, then rougher, then soft again, and the cloak slipped out of Carmen's grip and straight into George's hands. In an instant he was gone, no where near her and the cloak over him.

"George!"

"Go back to class. I'll take care of your friend."

"She's not my friend…" Carmen grumbled, heading back to Charms before she was late.

Graphite looked up upon her return, hope in her eyes.

Carmen nodded and she opened her mouth to breath.

"What happened? Wasn't that your spell? Who else knows it?"

"Oh, just some jerk, but it's okay. I took care of it."

Graphite nodded and regained her normal attitude. "So will you need help with the body?"

"Er… no, thanks. I got it. I'm pretty efficient with my bodies."

An invisible arm slid around her waist, squeezing tight.

Carmen grinned and drove both elbows into it, earning an "Oof!" for her troubles.

The arm withdrew and a carefully hidden kiss was placed at the base of her neck.

Carmen shivered involuntarily.

"Someone is plotting your demise," Graphite said knowingly. In Graphite land, a case of the shivers means conspiracy. Carmen's entire family must've been under government supervision… _(A/N her last name is Shivers in case you forgot…)_

Carmen nodded. "Thanks. I'll keep an eye out."

George blew softly on the back of Carmen's neck and she slapped a hand over it.

"Alright! Your attention please!" Professor Flitwick called. "Everyone get out your wands! Today we are going to learn how to charm a book to read to you. First, turn to page 301 in your textbooks."

Carmen reached down and pulled out her textbook, only too have it fall on the floor again. She clenched her teeth and grabbed it up again, holding it tightly.

Such happenings went on all through the class until Carmen got fed up and swung her book hard at what appeared to be nothing imparticular. There was a loud "OW!" but nothing else.

The Hufflepuffs ignored it, just as they had ignored all of Carmen's latest out bursts.

After she'd hit George with the book, Carmen was quite sure George had left her alone and finally gone back to class. She made her way to Potions, thinking she was in the clear.

"Oi! Shivers!"

Carmen turned around slowly. The Gryffindors and Slytherins were coming out and Malfoy was in a particularly nasty mood, obviously.

"Wha-at?" she whined.

"Don't 'what' me, Mudblood! I'm a prefect!"

"And I'm a student. Students have classes. Oh look! There's mine! Excuse me."

Malfoy grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Why do I waste my breath on you?"

The boy threw Carmen into the wall and she sat back, looking bored. "Are you going to do some nasty jinx on me? Hurry up, I may be able to skip class if you do it right. Unlikely, though…"

"Why you filthy little-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm gross and below you. This is very tiresome, Malfoy, can you please skip to the part where you jinx me, I go, 'Eep!' and get out of class?"

Malfoy raised his wand and pointed, yelling, "_Rictusempra!_"

A silver jet of light hit Carmen in the chest and hurt her more than the spells he usually used. Or maybe that was because she'd tossed her head back when the breath left her and smacked her head on the wall, then fell to her knees, hurting those too on the stone floor.

George came barreling out of the crowd and tackled Malfoy around the knees.

Carmen looked up, but put her head back down, still reeling from the smack on her head. Realization kicked in and she forgot about her head.

"George! No!" she yelled, leaping in to grab George, who was pounding on Malfoy mercilessly.

George allowed Carmen to pull him away and looked at her. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, but what about him! You're going to be in so much trouble! George I can't believe you!"

"You're bleeding."

"Whatever. Get out of here. _And stop following me!_"

George backed away from her and disappeared into the crowd.

Carmen shook her head and knelt beside Malfoy. "Hey! Hey, get up, you! Oh, come on, it's just a busted lip!"

"I'm going to get you for this, Shivers! I'm going to get both of you!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Come one, I'm taking you to the hospital wing. Do you remember what happened?" she asked, pulling the Slytherin up and putting his arm over her shoulder for support.

"Your bloody boyfriend came out of nowhere and attacked me!"

"Yes, but you started it. Hey! Someone tell Snape that I've taken Malfoy to the Infirmary. Oi, Crabbe, think you can remember to tell you next teacher where Malfoy's gone?"

Crabbe gave Carmen a blank look and she rolled her eyes. "Parkinson? Can you tell your next teacher where he's gone?"

"Yes, but–"

"Good."

Carmen shifted Malfoy's weight and began pulling him down the hall.

"Can't you walk on your own?"

Malfoy moaned in response.

"Jeez, you are such a wimp."

They made their way on silence for awhile until Malfoy finally asked. "Why are you doing this?"

Carmen shrugged. "Because you're hurt, I guess."

Malfoy swallowed. "I guess I could… not tell Snape Weasley attacked me."

"Cool. Thanks."

* * *

Carmen found George after last class waiting for her. 

"I'm sorry, Love."

"You'd better be! I had to be nice to that little prick to get you out of trouble!"

"How's your head?"

"I'm fine. And can you kindly stop stalking me?"

"It's not stalking if you love me back."

Well, you'd better not do that ever, ever, ever again anyway!"

George kissed her forehead. "That's a promise I can't make, Love. You look _so_ good in the rain."

"George!"

* * *

Sorry that took so long, guys! I had to find out where I was going with it and then it changed part way through and then I didn't like the ending, so I re-wrote it twice. But here it is, just for you guys! Keep up the reviews and I'll keep up the writing! (and also, I'll keep the tacos flowing!) 

Lovies!

PS, ideas for further chapters are welcome! (That isn't to say that I'll actually use them.)


	17. Scheme 17: The Most Important Thing

Okay, there's an extra point of view in this one, and it's kind of weird. This one is pretty… dramatic… Let me know what you think! I want to hear! Even if you hated it, I need to know!

Oaky, I'm a big fat pushover. I've been dying to know what you think about this chapter! Please let me know! XO

**Disclaimer:** Mlable Schmark! Mwahahaha!

* * *

"I want him." 

A tan face turned up to look up into it's female counterpart. "Who?"

"George Weasley. I want him."

A pair of perfect hazel eyes rolled. "Why can't you just go after Fred, Cat? I'm not in the mood for this."

Cat's beautiful eyes, identical to her brother's, turned on him. "You know I don't want him and you know why! I don't want to hear that you aren't 'in the mood,' James! It doesn't matter! You don't have a choice in the matter!"

James looked across the grounds at the couple laughing with their friends. He wanted friends. He wanted a girlfriend. Well, it wasn't as though he'd never had one. It was more along the lines that he'd never been able to _keep_ one. No, not _able_. He wasn't _allowed_ to keep one.

"I don't see why-"

"You don't have to see why, James. I only want boys that have girlfriends. And he has one. I want him, James, and you are going to help me get him. Whether you like it or not," Cat said, leaning threateningly toward her brother.

Oh yeah. That was why he always did this. Cat was terrifying.

* * *

Carmen lugged her unwilling self into the Ravenclaw stands for the quidditch match. 

Who the heck scheduled these things so early in the morning? They were evil.

She plopped down on the bench with Ash as red and green robed players made their way onto the field.

"I wanted to play quidditch…" Ash sighed.

Carmen sighed. "I'm sorry, Ash. It's your own fault."

"It was not my fault!"

"Was too. Who was it that slept through their alarm clock?"

"Well, I did, but-"

"Precisely. Who got all the way to the Great Hall and realized they had to go back and get their left shoe?"

"It was the right shoe-"

"Whatever. So whose fault is this?"

Ash sighed. "Mine… But I really wish I could have made those tryouts…"

The quaffle was thrown into the air and the game began, Allyssa catching it first. Carmen suppressed the urge to cheer as Allyssa threw the quaffle over Spinnet's head, then again as George smacked Malfoy with a bludger.

Ash had no problem with this. She cheered hard for Allyssa every time she did something good, but not for any other Slytherins.

As Carmen was trying to contain another cheer, a very cute tan boy with hazel eyes and black hair sat down beside her.

"Isn't George your boyfriend?"

Carmen looked at him. Who was this guy? She would have to have a chat with Ash about talking about her. "Yes, he is."

"Why aren't you cheering?" he asked.

"Because my best friend is a Slytherin Chaser. Um, sorry, but who are you?"

"I'm James Marker. You're Carmen Shivers, right?"

"Why does everyone know me?" she demanded.

James laughed. "After George's stunt during that quidditch match?"

"Oh. Yeah, that may do it."

James smiled at her. "So, you looked pretty good up there that day. Why don't you play?"

Carmen shook her head. "Nah, I'd fall to my death. No balance."

"You stayed on pretty well during that match."

Carmen opened her mouth to reply, but Ash yanked her down and over.

"What on Earth do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

"Talking to this guy. His name is… Oh, crap, I already forgot it."

"He's James Marker and he's flirting with you!"

"If he was flirting, we wouldn't be talking about George."

Ash pursed her lips and gave Carmen a "be careful" look before releasing her to talk to James more.

* * *

George looked into the stands for Carmen, wondering if she'd just seen him whack Flint in the head with a bludger, only to see her talking to a very handsome boy. 

And he was flirting.

George's face turned red and he raced to the nearest bludger, hitting it away from Harry and at the boy with deadly accuracy.

Carmen looked up and screamed, then hit the ball away with a very thick book. She tracked George down with her eyes, looking a heart-wrenching combination of shocked, angry, and confused.

When she found him, though, she looked at his face, then at James and said something to him before edging out of the stands.

The boy sitting there smiled at him and George could see the whiteness of his teeth from two hundred feet away.

* * *

"So? How'd it go?" Cat asked as James returned to the seat the two of them shared every match. 

James glared at her. "He _hit_ a _bludger_ at me. How do you _think_ it went?"

"Sounds like it went perfectly. If he was that jealous, then she must have been interested."

"She wasn't."

Cat turned on her brother. "Then _make_ her interested. Listen, James, I'm not asking a lot of you. I just want you to get that girl out of the way, alright? Do you think you can handle that? Or am I going to need to employ someone else?"

"Employ? Is that what I am, an employee? Replaceable, just like that? Fine, then I'm not doing this anymore. Find someone else!"

Cat grabbed James by the scruff of his neck. "If I have to replace you, James, it will be because you are no longer recognizable as a human being. Is that still what you want?"

James winced, wishing he could just simply put Cat in her place. But that was never going to happen, because Cat was a better witch, a better fighter, stronger, faster, better than he was on all accounts.

* * *

They were practicing the first time he saw her. The tan, beautiful figure sat in the stands, just watching him, adjacent to Carmen, who was doing her homework. She had flowing black hair and a perfect body. 

George turned away from the dark beauty and beat a bludger to his brother.

"Oi! Fred! C'mere!"

"What?"

"Do you see that girl in the stands?"

"She's beautiful."

"Yeah, I know. Is she looking this way?"

"Yes, she's looking right at us."

"She's creeping me out."

Fred gave George an odd look. "Why?"

He shook his head. "She's been staring at me. It's really weird. I'm gonna go say hi to Carmen, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

But as George started over, he saw the tan boy from the quidditch match a few days ago. He poured on the speed and crashed into place beside Carmen.

"Hello, Love. Who's this?"

"This is James Marker. He's a sixth year Ravenclaw."

"Hello. You're George, right? Carmen's boyfriend?"

"That's right. I'm her boyfriend. George Weasley."

Carmen smiled and turned her face up to kiss George, only to be attacked with a very powerful, carnal French kiss.

When they finally parted, George looked at James angrily as Carmen gulped in air gratefully.

"Oi! George! No time for slacking! You can make out later, it's time for quidditch!" Angelina yelled.

George petted Carmen's hair and took off again, shooting James a dirty look over his shoulder.

* * *

James watched Carmen watch George jump from the stands and fall a few feet before catching himself and rising back up. She kept her eyes on him as he flew away and didn't even spare a glance for James, who didn't look away either. 

"Your boyfriend doesn't like me very much."

"I noticed."

"Maybe it's not a good idea for us to hang out."

"Maybe."

He was surprised. Usually, the girl got really flustered and threw a fit about their boyfriends not running them or owning them or whatever. Why wasn't she insisting that he stay? What had he done wrong? Cat would kill him for this…

"I mean, it's nothing personal. I like you and all and you're cool and nice and all that, but I just firmly believe in the whole 'pick your battles' thing. This isn't a battle I want, y'know? I'll talk to him about it and get back to you, but for now, just let him cool it. Okay?"

James nodded, trying to understand.

"See you."

Without much thought, James, got up and walked away, throwing a look back over his shoulder at Carmen.

He was going to be in trouble…

* * *

Carmen's mouth twitched as George looked back yet again at her, as if to check and make sure that James was gone. 

She felt kind of bad about the way that he'd left, but if George was that upset about it, then she needed to smooth things over before she and James became friends. The last thing Carmen needed was a jealous boyfriend and a friend he couldn't stand. She was already worried enough about what would happen when he met Shawn…

But that was seven forevers from now and she would just have to burn that bridge when she came to it.

In the meantime, Carmen giggled and smirked. His reaction to James had been hilarious. She mocked him in her head: "That's right. I'm her boyfriend. George Weasley."

And that kiss…

George had never kissed her like that before and Carmen couldn't decide whether she should run or go find James and make George even more jealous. After all, that kiss had been… it had been… well, it had been something.

Carmen smiled one last time at George as he looked back like a paranoid schizophrenic with a stash and returned to her homework.

* * *

"What do you mean he's your friend?" 

"I mean, I've talked to him and he's cool. He's my friend. I just wanted to make sure you knew that that was it."

"But… But what if he… tries something or… something…"

"If he tries something, I'll bite and kick and scratch and come get you and then he'll probably end up in a ditch somewhere, won't he?"

"Yes." George shifted uncomfortably. "And you trust him?"

"Well, it's not like I'd put my life in his hands or anything, but I trust him enough to ask for a drink and feel safe that it isn't drugged. You know that if he starts to get weird, I'm out."

"Okay… Fine… But don't be alone with him or anything, okay?"

"You're the only person I want to be alone with…" Carmen said, kissing George.

He grinned. "And I you. Should we go be alone?"

Carmen laughed huskily. "No, we can't go be alone. I love you, but I'm not sure I trust you enough to put my V-Card at risk."

"What's a V-Card?"

Carmen laughed and kissed him again.

* * *

"How could you just _leave_ like that? You are such an _idiot_! I swear, if I didn't need you, I'd just kill you off right now!" 

"I'll get her, Cat, I promise! I can do it!"

Cat folded her arms and looked down at James, thinking.

"I can do it. I can. I promise…" he repeated, cowering at her feet in his own dorm.

Cat waved her wand and a book exploded by his head, sending pieces of the cover and pages hitting him and covering him in white bits. "A week, James. One week, and that's your nuts." With that, Cat turned on her heel and stormed out, looking like an angry model.

James swallowed and picked up his wand, only to drop it from shaking hands.

Why was he such a wimp? Why was he being pushed around and commanded by his twin sister? Why was she so much better? Why couldn't James live his own life? Why couldn't he choose a girl he liked?

In fact, he had. A pretty Slytherin girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. He had seen her on the day he'd begun talking to Carmen. She was the best Chaser on the Slytherin team, the best player period.

Hadn't Carmen said her name once? What was it?

Ah, it was Allyssa. What a beautiful name. A beautiful, single, un-pre-chosen name. But after what he was about to do to Carmen and George, even a Slytherin wouldn't have him He knew. It had happened before.

Carmen snuck up to the Ravenclaw table carefully and quietly and put her hands over James's eyes. "Guess who?"

"Carmen? I thought George wouldn't let you hang out with me?" he asked, grabbing her hands.

"Let me? Boy, please. Nah, I just didn't want to have the 'I don't want you hanging around that guy' fight. It's a pain. Well, it sounds like a pain. I've never actually had the fight myself. So what're you doing today?" Carmen asked, crouching beside the bench. George had quidditch all day (Angelina was a slave driver!) and Ash and Allyssa were off working on Transfiguration homework that Carmen had blown off long ago.

"Nothing, I suppose. What are you doing?"

"Let's go into the forest!"

James looked taken aback. "But it's forbidden."

"No duh, what do you think makes it so appealing?"

James glanced at someone out of the corner of his eyes and winced slightly, then looked back at her, his eyes begging not to be taken into the forest.

Carmen rolled her eyes and grabbed James's hand and pulled him out of the Great Hall, blowing a kiss to George on the way out, who smiled and waved at her.

They reached the edge of the forest and James finally protested more firmly. "Carmen, I don't want to!"

"Just a little bit further. We need to be in there. Don't worry, I've done this loads of times."

"Please, Carmen! You don't understand!"

Carmen set her jaw and looked him in the eye firmly. "I understand more than you think I do. Get in there."

James swallowed audibly and stepped a few feet into the forest.

"Okay, just stop here. Have a seat."

James sat down on a fallen tree and looked up at Carmen.

"What's going on?"

"Beg pardon?"

Carmen crossed her arms. "Do you think I'm stupid? That girl you looked at before we came, you winced when you saw her. Your hand was shaking all the way here. I know something is up. The forest isn't that scary to anyone."

James bent his head and stood up slowly. Carmen could tell he was shaking with every step he took toward her.

"James-"

He looked up at her and in an instant had her chin in his hands.

She ripped away forcefully and James's shoulders sagged.

"You don't seem to get it, James. You're in some hot water and I'm telling you that if you will give me a freaking chance, I will help you! Why do you think we're in the freaking woods? Jeez!"

James slumped back down on the log and a sob rattled his shoulders.

Carmen bent down and looked into his face, kneeling in the mud.

"If the water is really, really hot, I mean scalding, and it's about to get spilled all over you and George, will you still help me?"

Still looking at the ground, James felt Carmen's arms wrap around him and it felt like… comfort. Like a real sister's hug should feel.

"Tell me, James. We can fix it."

James let loose, then, hanging his head into Carmen's shoulder and crying. He didn't know if she could understand anything he was saying, but she was cooing softly to him every time he paused.

He told her about Cat and her threats, her obsession with taken guys, her, and there was no other word for it, abuse. He told her about his mother running off with some muggle man, his father having a mental breakdown after she left and sending he and Cat to go live with their aunt, a socialite with a lot of money, but no time. He told her about all the couples that he and Cat had driven apart. He told her about Allyssa and how he couldn't even talk to her because of Cat.

Throughout his stories, Carmen hugged him and stroked his hair soothingly, staying on her knees on the muddy forest floor the entire time.

"Are you finished?" she asked, sounding as though she was speaking to a child. It had been to long since he'd heard such a tone.

"Yes…" he whispered.

Carmen sat back on her heels. "Well, we have a problem, don't we?" she asked, pulling the wet material away from her skin.

"We?"

"Yes, we. I told you I'd help you. Now, let's see, the most immediate problem is Cat and her whole, my-brother-is-my-slave thing. I think that'll be a pretty easy fix.-"

"No, you don't know her. She's a really great witch and she's mean and she really, _really_, _**really**_, wants George. And she can fight."

Carmen smiled, pity on her face. "Poor little James. You don't understand do you?" Carmen held out her hands like scales. "On the one hand, we have a psycho… well, let's face it, she's a total bitch, who likes to steal boyfriends and push her brother around. On the other hand, we have a nice, pissed off Hufflepuff with lots of friends and a loving boyfriend to do my bidding if need be. So you just go on back to Cat and tell her you made your move in the forest and I'm leaving George. I'll rake care of the rest, okay?"

James stared for a moment. Oh. So this is what a real friend feels like. James could get used to it.

* * *

"George! I have a pressing matter that needs to be tended to immediately!" 

"Why are you wet? Why are your knees dirty? Are you okay? Where did you go with him? You smell like cologne! Why do you sm-"

"Shut up! Gyah! Will you listen for a freaking second?"

George finally shut his mouth and listened.

"Okay, so that James guy was totally flirting and-"

"I told you!"

"George! Shut it! Okay, so his sister is a freaking psycho and she thinks you're amazing and she wants to be with you, but she needed to break us up and so she was making James do the dirty work, right? So his life is all like blah and everything sucks for him and it's very sad, so we're going to help him get rid of psycho sissy? Kay?"

George's mouth was hanging open. "I- What?"

Carmen sighed. "Whatever. You just need to know that James is telling his sister that he made his move and I'm leaving you."

"Wh… What?"

"Yeah, yeah, web of lies, whatever. So she's going to make her move on you and then we're going to… well… well it boils down to attacking her sorry butt, doesn't it? So you need to go look sad and available and stuff, okay?"

"Have I mentioned that you are horrible at explaining things?"

"Yes, you have." Carmen reached up and kissed George. "Did you get any of that?"

George thought for a moment. "Um, James flirted with you, uh his sister is crazy, web of lies, you're breaking up with me?"

Carmen rolled her eyes and made a sound of frustration. "We're not _really_ breaking up."

"Good."

"We're pretending we are so Cat can move in and we can catch her."

"Catch her."

"Allyssa, Ash, and I are going to be somewhere around there so that we can attack her and beat the psycho out of her, however long that may take."

"Okay. I think I got it."

"Good." Carmen kissed him again. "I love you George. Go look like I just broke up with you for another guy, okay?"

George watched her run down the hall. What had just happened here? He was supposed to act like she'd just broken up with him, but she really hadn't?

He was confused, as he always was after Carmen tried to explain something, but he tried his very hardest to make himself look hurt and angry.

* * *

James was scared. 

For himself, but mostly for Carmen. She didn't understand what Cat was capable of. If she wanted George, she would find a way to get him.

But it was entirely too late. Everything was in motion. James had already told Cat that Carmen was his and George was looking perfectly like she'd just left him. He looked so perfect, in fact, James had to wonder whether she had really left him or he was acting.

Cat smirked and patted James's head as she walked over, undoing the top button of her shirt.

James waited for the blow. The rejection. But it didn't come. She was all over George and a he was just going along with it! For a moment, he thought that Carmen had really broken up with him.

"He's a good little actor isn't he?"

James looked to his right, surprised. Carmen, Allyssa, and Ashley were standing there watching them.

"Let's go kill her…" Ash said, anger in her voice.

"Wait, for it… Wait for it… Now!" Carmen said, as Cat leaned in for a kiss.

"_Rictusempra_!"

"_Tarantellegra_!"

"_Cantas Feliz!"_

"Uh-oh…"

Cat was thrown ten feet with the power of the three spells and stood up quickly, bloodlust in her eyes. She opened her mouth to yell at James, but when she did, "Feliz Navidad" played as though her mouth were an old vitriolic.

She attempted a scream and failed, then angrily pointed her wand at James, shooting a jet of silver light out at him. He winced, but just before it would have hit, Carmen's voice shouted, "_Protego_!" and it bounced off.

"Okay, you little-"

"Carmen!" Ash reprimanded.

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Your time is up. No more pushing James around, no more stealing boyfriends. You're done."

Cat started moving her mouth angrily, shouting unheard words that only came out as Feliz Navidad.

"George, this is getting on my nerves. Can you fix this?"

George waved his wand and Cat started screaming about James and Carmen and George.

"Shut up!" Ash screamed.

Cat stopped and looked up at her, furious. "What did you say, you little shrimp! You don't deserve to be in Ravenclaw!"

Carmen snorted. "And yet you just got outsmarted by a Hufflepuff? Nice. And who doesn't belong in Ravenclaw?"

"What did you say to me?"

"Carmen, don't…" James warned.

"I said you aren't as smart as you think you ar-"

"_Sonaria_ _Definium_!"

"_Protego_! Please, and you call yourself a witch?"

Cat's face was red as a beet. "_BOMBARDA_!"

"_Protego_. What, you're gonna blow me up? How neat."

Cat threw down her wand and ran at her, tackling her knees. Both girls were yelling and cussing and punching and fighting.

Ash and Allyssa started to jump in, but George was already dragging Cat away. "Get her!" he yelled at James, as Ash jumped in to help him drag Cat away.

He grabbed Carmen around the middle and had to get assistance from Allyssa.

An insult war ensued until Allyssa and Ash covered the fighters' mouths.

"Now, you both need to calm down," George said. "Can we let you go? Can we trust you two not to fight?"

Carmen nodded and James and Allyssa let her go.

"Cat? Can we let you go?" Ash uncovered her mouth, only to be showered with curse words. "Nope, not letting you go."

Cat turned her glare onto James and began screaming at him through Ash's hand. He stepped back, afraid for a moment, but then Carmen grabbed his sleeve and he regained his courage. He had a friend now. He had someone on his side. He didn't need to be afraid of Cat any longer.

"Cat, I have to tell you, it was a good try, this whole thing. The only problem is that you need people to back you up. Always. No matter how great you are, how pretty, how smart. James has got those now, and you don't. Give it up."

Tears burst from Cat's eyes and Carmen's face was instantly covered in grief.

Ash removed her hands and she and George let go.

"No! No it's-"

Without any warning, Cat jumped and grabbed her wand. "I can't believe how easy that was! Crying on cue was defiantly worth learning. "_Expelliarmous_! _Rictusempra_!"

Carmen was thrown back and she hit the floor with a loud "smack."

Ash, Allyssa, and George started forward, but quick as lightening, Cat had them all stupefied.

Carmen looked up at Cat blearily, her head leaking blood a bit.

"You know, I only wanted your boyfriend to begin with, but you really pissed me off. I don't' want to see your ugly little mudblood face ever again. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to destroy it."

"Cat-" James started.

"You shut your mouth, you traitor! You sold out your own sister for this little mudblood?"

"I-"

"I'll deal with you later, but right now, I want to see this little bitch suffer. _Bombarda_!"

"_Protego_!"

Cat looked at James, astonished. "Are you really choosing her over me? Are you really going to betray your own sister like this?"

"Shut up, Cat. _Sonara_ _Definium_."

Cat screamed and fell to her knees, covering her ears.

James knelt and checked Carmen's head before he restored consciousness to the others.

"Good job, James," Carmen said before George helped her to the nurse. "You finally stood up to Cat. Now there's only one more thing you have to do before you truly have independence."

"What's that?"

Carmen grinned like a stoner and leaned closer to his ear. "You need a girlfriend."

James blushed and looked over at Allyssa as George toted Carmen away. "Ah, Allyssa?"

"Hm?"

"Before you go to the Hospital, I want to ask you something."

"What's that?"

"Uh, what are you doing next weekend?"

"Going to Hogsmeade. Aren't you?"

"Well…"

* * *

The next weekend, Carmen, Ash, Allyssa, George, James, Fred, and Lee sat at the Three Broomsticks, laughing as Cat was shipped back home, expelled from Hogwarts and her life as a witch, leaving James to become a person of his own.

* * *

Hooray! James is a pansy-pants! Woot! XD I love pansy guys. They make me laugh. They also make me feel tough. Lol… So yeah, review and stuff, but don't expect to get any tacos until I get some more shells and tortillas. Jorge, my taco maker is off-duty, so I have to do it myself. Sorry if they aren't as good as usual. 

Please, _please_, **_please_** leave me some reviews! They mean a lot to me!


	18. Scheme 18: I Do

As Brandi knows, this chapter was meant to be the last one, but I couldn't think of anything, so I bumped it up. Sorry, I'm doing it anyway because I'm fresh out of stuff to write. The next chappie may be awhile... Also, I'm posting a vampire story that may eventually become a romance on fictionpress (which is a .com thing.) under the same name, if anyone is interested. (You'd better be!) So check that out. It'll be uploaded in about ten minutes.

Anywhat, Caramel, I tried out the Christmas thing, but I just wasn't feeling it, so I stopped. I don't know, I just kept coming up with holes in the story. I _**HATE**_ holes in the story. So that's it.

Alright, guess how many reviews this story has now. go on, guess.

ONE HUNDRED AND FREAKING FOUR! HOLY TOLEDO THAT IS FRIGGING AWESOME! So that's why this chapter is goinhg up before I have the next one started. (That's how I do it. I don't upload the next chapter until I have another one started.)

**Disclaimer**: Oo. Don't even start with that crap. If you got through 18 chapters and you think I own this stuff, you need to start reading the Disclaimers. Wait, if you weren't reading them before, then… nevermind…

* * *

George looked into one of the big glass boxes. "What about that one?" 

"No," Fred said. "It's too big."

"But I saved all year! I can get one that big!"

Ginny shook her head. "It's Carmen. You're thinking she's a regular girl. Think about it, George. What would Carmen want with that thing?"

"Okay, I guess… So… Which one would be better?"

Ginny looked through the cases and pointed straight down. "Look at these ones. How about these?"

George looked into the case. "Ma'am? Can we see these?"

The witch walked over and pulled out the flat of rings. "These rings," she began in a snobby voice, "were forged by goblins and are the finest white gold in all of London. This is ever-frozen ice. The gem in this one was mined by dwarves in Russia. That is a piece of unicorn horn and this one is… just a diamond."

"That one," Ginny said. "That's the one she'd like, I know it."

"That one? Just a diamond? A regular diamond? That's it?"

"Yes."

"Maybe you should bring in Ash and Allyssa?" Fred suggested.

"Go get them! Go!" Ginny said.

Fred nodded and apparated out with a crack. A minute later, Ash was standing there, grinning.

"A ring? An _engagement_ ring? You're getting an _engagement_ ring for Carmen? Which one are you looking at? Which one? Which one?"

"These. Which one do you think she'd like?" Ash looked them over, then started to look through the other cases.

"Hey! I was looking at these ones!"

"Hm-mm. They aren't right."

Fred apparated in. "I can't find Allyssa."

"Hmph," Ash said, then left with a crack, reappearing in seconds, followed instantly by Allyssa, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"An engagement ring?" she asked excitedly.

"Hey, look at these," Ginny said.

Allyssa looked at the goblin forged rings and shook her head. "Too flashy. Carmen won't like them that much. She'll be scared to wear them."

"Why?"

"She won't want to mess it up," Ash agreed. "These, Llyss. Look here."

Allyssa looked over her shoulder. "Ooh! Yes! She would _love_ those!"

George looked too. "But they're so… plain. Just a silver ring? With those little bitty diamonds? I wanted to get something, I don't know, bigger. You know?"

Both girls shook their heads. "She won't want something bigger. Look at this, here. See how the diamond sticks out?"

"That's what–"

"Think about how she sleeps," Ash said.

"Okay… And?"

Allyssa shook her head. "She'd gouge herself in the face."

"Wouldn't she just take it off at night?"

Ash and Allyssa stared at him.

"Good point."

"Look at these now," Allyssa said, pointing to the case of rings with rows of diamonds embedded in the silver. "See the detail around the diamonds?"

"Mm-hm…"

"I promise she'd like these more."

George looked skeptical. "Alright, if you say so. We'll take that one."

"No! What size is that ring?"

"It's a ten," the woman said, sounding as though she was containing her anger forcibly.

Ash and Allyssa shook their heads.

"Carmen wears a nine," Ash said.

"How do you know that?" Fred asked, confused.

"Don't worry about it," Allyssa said. "She just does. Do you have this ring in a nine?"

"Yes…" the woman said, heading to the back of the store.

"You're sure this is the One?" George asked. "Because it's got to be the One, you know?"

"This is the One, George, we promise."

"We promise."

* * *

George pulled Carmen down beside him in her apartment. She'd gotten one in underground London since George lived with Fred above Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. 

"Love, what are you thinking about?"

Carmen sighed. "Nothing. Why?"

"I was just curious." Carmen smiled and leaned back on him.

There was a period of silence between them.

"Carmen?"

"Hm?"

"How do you want to get married?"

She sat up and looked at him. "I don't know. What brought that on?"

He shrugged.

"I never really thought about it. In a church, with a preacher, I suppose."

"Obviously."

Carmen shrugged. "I really don't know."

George pulled her back to him and kissed the top of her head gently. "I love you, Carmen."

"I love you too. What's the matter, George?"

He shook his head. "Nothing's the matter, Love."

"It just seems like something's the matter. I mean, you sound all… and then you're talking about marriage… Oh no. You're not… You don't have… another… woman… do you?"

George sighed. "Why would I have another woman?" he asked. "I love you and you know it. I don't need anyone else."

Carmen smiled. "I love you too. So what's with this whole… thing? What's up?"

George shrugged. "Nothing's up. I just… Can we go out tomorrow night?"

"Sure. Where'd you wanna go?"

"I dunno. It doesn't matter. Somewhere nice."

"Alright. I need to know how nice, though. I need to know how I need to dress."

"Nice. Very nice."

"Okay." Carmen looked at the clock. "I've gotta open the store tomorrow, Sweetie. I need to get some sleep."

"Alright, Love," George said, kissing her. "I'll come by at seven?"

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow."

With a loud crack, George was gone.

* * *

Carmen unlocked her door and tossed her keys onto the table beside the door. 

"Carmen! Where have you been?" Allyssa asked, bouncing out of Carmen's bedroom.

"Llyssa? I was at work, where do you think? What're you doing here?"

"I'm helping you get dressed for your date with George! Now come on, we need to get out and find you some nice robes!"

"Um, sweetie, I've been dressing myself for about twenty years now. I think I can handle it. And I've got nice robes! What do you think… is… on the floorDid you throw my stuff everywhere?" Carmen demanded, looking around her destroyed room. Clothes were thrown all around the room and Carmen's closet was almost entirely empty.

"Well, you don't have anything in there to wear! I'm only trying to help!"

"Allyssa, I can get dressed on my own, thanks."

Allyssa shook her head. "No ma'am! We are going out right now to get you new robes and that is final!" She grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the apartment and into Diagon Alley.

George opened the door and called to let Carmen know he was there.

"Hold on! She'll be there in a second!" Allyssa called.

"It's fine! Leave it alone!"

"No, just let me-"

"Can't you just quit it?"

"Come on, Carmen, just let me fix it!"

"FINE! GAAH!"

"Uh, Allyssa, we have a reservation."

"She'll just be another second!"

"OW!"

* * *

Carmen entered the restaurant feeling distinctly overdressed until she saw everyone else. Comparatively, she was slightly underdressed. 

Allyssa had forced her to buy a cerulean blue set of robes. It was tight at the top and flowed out around the waist, below the silver belt of a chain. Her hair had been wound into a messy bun at the back of her head, letting pieces of hair cascade around her face.

George had dressed in a black suit and tie with a plum shirt beneath, as he always did when they went out somewhere nice.

George pulled out Carmen's chair when they were seated and walked around the table to sit down himself. He ordered his wine and there was an awkward silence before the wine was brought and.

"What's this about, George?" Carmen asked conversationally, as the waiter poured her tea.

George choked on his drink. "Um… Nothing, Love. There's nothing."

The dinner was strained throughout the appetizer, entrée, and dessert. George was on his third dessert, in fact, when Carmen stood up.

"Love? What are you doing?"

"George, I'm not stupid. There is something you want to tell me and when you're ready to do that, I'll be outside." With that, Carmen walked out.

George watched her go, swallowing hard.

"Having some trouble?" asked the bus boy at a nearby table.

George looked up at him. "A little bit."

"What is it that you're trying to tell her?"

"I want to marry her."

He nodded. "But you can't figure out how to ask her? Let me give you some advice. She's not going to care how you do it. Just… go for it."

George nodded. "See, I can't do that."

"Why? Is she a material girl or something?"

"No, I'm scared."

He laughed. "Afraid she'll say no?"

"No. I'm just… afraid. Well, maybe a little that she'll say no. But… what if she isn't ready? What if she thinks I'm trying to pressure her into it? I'm not, I just… I love her and…"

"Go after her. Now. Go ask her."

George nodded and ordered the check.

* * *

Carmen picked at the grass outside of the restaurant. She had really thought that something was going to happen that night. She had really hoped that he would ask her… 

Ask her something. Maybe to move in with him. She would say no, of course. (She couldn't move in with someone she wasn't married to.) But… it would have been nice to know that she had the choice.

Or maybe to… No, she didn't want to start thinking about marriage if he wasn't ready for it.

But she couldn't help feeling like this was all a way to keep her fro making a scene. To break it gently to her that he was ready to find someone else.

Damned paranoia…

George sat down beside her. "So…"

"Yep…"

She didn't even see it coming. George pushed her down in the grass swiftly and kissed her hard.

"George? What-"

"Carmen, I love you."

"I love you too."

"And I want to see your face every day for the rest of my life."

"I so do I. Well, your face, not mine."

"And there is nothing-"

_Oh, God, please…_

"-I would like more than-"

_Please, let this be it! Please!_

"-if you would marry m-"

Carmen didn't wait to see if the word was "me" or "marshmallows." She tackled him in a kiss. "Yes! I love you! Yes!"

* * *

George tugged on his suit. "What if she changes her mind? What if she leaves me at the alter?" 

"George, why would she leave you at the alter? You've been together for…"

"Eight years."

"Eight years! You have nothing to worry about! Wow, has it really been eight years?"

"Yes, it has. What if… What if she's tired of me? What if-"

"You're really reaching now, George," James said, straightening his tie. "Look, you remember the look on her face at my wedding. She loves you. It'll be fine."

George took a deep breath and nodded. "Right. Right. Nothing to worry about. Nothing…"

Lee patted George's shoulder. "Look, mate, the worst thing that could happen is if one of you sneezed during the vows."

"Or if she laughs like her cousin did," Fred laughed.

Allen laughed. "Or if she faints like she did at my wedding."

"She fainted?"

"Locked her knees."

"Oh."

_(A/N That really happened to me. (the fainting.) And my cousin really did crack up during her wedding. In her defense, the band skipped out and the guests sang the "Here Comes The Bride" in do do dos)_

"I can't do this. I can't do this, Allyssa. I can't do this. Ash, tell her I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't."

"You have to. If you don't, everything will be ruined and you'll never know what true happiness is!"

Carmen whined and looked back at the shoes. "Can't I just go bare foot?"

"Sure, why not?" Ash said, attaching a silver butterfly into her hair.

Carmen sighed. "Oh, thank God. I told you, I can't make it three feet in those things! How was I supposed to get down the aisle in them?"

Allyssa rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're not even going to wear those shoes!"

"They're stilettos!"

"They're gorgeous!"

"They're IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Will you two calm down? They're just shoes!" Ginny snapped.

Bethany ran a brush through her long black hair. "Carmen, can I wear them?"

"No, they're too big for you."

Carmen's youngest bridesmaid and cousin huffed.

"You'll get your chance to wear giganto heels, sweetie. Calm down," Ash said.

Bethany made a face at her.

Carmen sat back. "I'm a little dizzy."

"Maybe if you'd quit hyperventilating you wouldn't be!" Allyssa said.

Carmen nodded and tried to control her breathing.

Carmen's mother came in carrying a smoothie and a bag. "Have you eaten anything?"

She shook her head.

"Okay, here's a smoothie. Drink it. Ah, here's your something old," an antique necklace locket with an old picture of her great grandmother in it, "something new," a brand new veil with tiny rhinestones lining the bottom, "and something blue," a white garter with a blue ribbon in it. "I couldn't find the earrings you wanted to borrow."

"Here," Ash said, taking off her earrings.

"What? Blake just gave those to you! I can't wear those!"

"Well, I'm loaning them to you now! Take them!"

"But-"

"I'm not giving them to you! I'm loaning them!" Ash put the earrings in Carmen's ears. "There. They look great and I can get them back later."

Carmen threw her arms around one of her best friends.

Someone knocked on the door. "It's time to start," they called.

"Oh- oh my gosh… Oh my gosh…"

"Here it goes, Mina!" Carmen's mother said as she lead the way out of the bridal room.

* * *

George had his hands clasped neatly in front of him as watched his mother walk down the aisle, Carmen's mother, Allyssa, Ash, Ginny, Bethany. 

The bridal march started and Carmen and Daniel began down the aisle.

Carmen's dress was Elizabethan and beautiful, with shining mint green embroidering around the edges.

Carmen's eyes, watery and shining, locked with his. "I love you," she mouthed.

"I love you, too," he mouthed back.

As Carmen was given away, George started to think.

Think about the past, the present, and the future.

In the past, he had been happy, he had had the girl of his dreams, In the present, he was even happier, waiting for the commitment of their lifetimes.

And in a few moments, he would be her husband and Carmen would be his wife. It was bliss.

* * *

Okay, that's it. That's the wedding. Please review for me I loves you! Ah, Jorge is back, so you tacos for finishing the whole thing… 

But you don't get any cheese unless you review…

Anywhat. Thinking of kids. Give me some ideas? Any? Boys? Girls? Numbers? Ages (comparatively with each other)?


	19. Scheme 19: A Schemeing Home

FLUFF ALERT!! Also, George is kind of… Well he's…

Okay, George is kind of a horny little bastard in this one. XD

Anyway, it's short and not that great, but whatever…

GO TO FICTIONPRESS AND READ BLOOD CONTRACT!!! I don't know what's wrong with fictionpress though. If you want the link, ask me for it in a review or a pm and I'll get it to you. But I swear it's a good story! Caramel, tell them it's good!

Caramel?

* * *

**Disclaimer**: NOTMINENOTMINENOTMINE!

* * *

**_NOTICE! I want to know what everyone's favorite chapter was. I'm really curious! Please let me know!!!_**

* * *

"Okay, our new house. Ready to go in?" Carmen asked, excitedly. 

George nodded , but pulled her back.

"What?"

He grinned and picked her up and carried her over the threshold.

"Ack! George! What are you doing?"

"It's bad luck for you to step over the threshold of your new house. I have to carry you!" George laughed and dropped her onto the couch.

Carmen stood up, laughing. "So what are we gonna do?"

George grinned. "I think we should-"

The sentence was cut short as Carmen smacked his in the face with a throw pillow. "We should what?"

"Our first night in our new house and you-"

SMACK!

"I what?"

"Alright, Carmen, you're aski-"

SMACK!

"I'm what?"

"One more time, Love, one m-"

SMACK!

George launched himself at his new wife and tackled her back onto the couch. "You watch yourself, Carmen Weasley!"

"Wait, wait. Say that again."

"Say what again?"

"My name. Say it again?"

"Carmen?"

She rolled her eyes. "George!"

"Carmen Weasley?"

Carmen closed her eyes. "Mmm… say it again…"

George grinned and whispered, "Carmen Weasley," kissing her neck lightly. "Carmen Elizabeth Weasley."

Carmen grabbed his head, which was heading toward her collar, and brought it to her face, kissing him roughly.

"Hey George."

"Hm?" he asked, already working on her shirt buttons and kissing her neck once more.

"We're married."

"Yes, we are."

"And this is our house."

"Yes, it is."

"And what are we going to do?"

"We could break in the bed."

"George!"

"What? The honeymoon wasn't nearly long enough!"

* * *

Carmen woke up to the smell and sound of sizzleing bacon. 

She sat up, scratching her head and yawning. "George? Are you cooking?"

"Yes."

"Are you cooking bacon?"

"Yes."

Carmen stood up and pulled on a t-shirt and jeans off the floor, not knowing or caring whether or not it was clean.

George was standing in the kitchen, wearing a pair of jeans and cooking bacon and pancakes.

She scratched her head and poured a glass of juice.

"You slept forever," he said, kissing her cheek.

"Mmm… I could sleep forever in that bed. We are keeping James around. I like rich people."

"And what am I?" George asked, indignant.

"You're poor."

"So you don't like me?" he asked, hurt.

"No, I love poor people."

George grinned. "Get some plates down. Breakfast is ready."

After breakfast, George and Carmen laid back down in bed.

"So what now?" she asked.

"We could-"

"We _already_ did that."

"We could do it again."

"Or we could stop pretending we're rabbits and just think of something else to do."

George slumped. "Hmm… we could… well…"

"We're pathetic," Carmen sighed. "It's our first day in our new home and we can't think of anything to do but shag?"

George laughed. "Alright, well, why don't we go to a muggle zoo or something? You like those right?"

She groaned. "But then we'd have to get dressed and take a shower and stuff." She rolled over and buried her face in George's chest. "Can't we just go back to sleep?"

George laughed again and put a hand on her hair. "Alright, we can go back to sleep."

Five minutes later, as George was drifting off, Carmen stood up. "Let's go do something."

"I thought you wanted to sleep," he mumbled, words slurred with sleep.

"No, now I want to go to the zoo. I'm gonna go take a shower."

George moaned and rolled over, wondering when she'd decided they were going to the zoo. In no time, she was out, accompanied by billowing steam.

"George, wake up! We're going to the zoo!"

"Uuung!"

Carmen jumped onto the bed and bounced next to him. "Up, up, up! Zoo! Zoo!"

George threw his arm around her and dragged her down beside him.

"Come _on_, George!"

He groaned again when he felt her bra.

"George, this is no time for that. Go take your shower so we can go!"

George pulled himself up and out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom, daring one last look at his wife before he closed the door.

* * *

Carmen dragged George to the zoo in London as soon as he was dressed. He looked around at all the animals and wondered vaguely why muggles dressed so oddly. (Carmen had forced him into jeans and a t-shirt and dressed in jeans and a tank herself.) 

He wasn't complaining, they weren't uncomfortable and he'd worn them before, but they were so _odd_.

Of course, all the people around him were wearing similar clothes. Weirdos…

George looked at his wife and it hit him once more that she was, in fact, his wife.

He had a wife.

George looked around again. All around him were little kids and their parents.

He'd never asked Carmen if she wanted kids. He didn't know.

He did, of course. He loved having a huge family. But did Carmen want kids? How was he going to find out?

Time to talk to Fred…

* * *

"Hey, George! How was your honeymoon?" 

George smiled. "Fantastic. But I have a problem."

Fred laughed. "Already? Jeez, George, starting a bit early, aren't you?"

"That's not it." He wrung his hands. What a stupid thing to ask your brother. "Er, I don't know if Carmen wants kids."

Fred looked confused. "So? Ask her."

George frowned. "I can't just walk up and ask, 'Hey, Love do you want kids?'"

"Why not?"

"I just can't! It sounds pathetic! It sounds like I don't know her at all!"

Fred rolled his eyes. "You're pathetic. I'll find out for you, if you want."

"No! You can't ask her! She'll know I don't know! I don't want her to know I don't know! We have to find out without letting her know that I don't know!"

Fred stared at him for a moment. "You're a git."

* * *

Carmen sighed. Her shop wasn't busy during the summer and it was deathly boring with no customers. 

She sighed and picked up a wand at random and swished it, laughing when her cup exploded.

"Awww…" she said, sad now that her drink was gone. She'd have to go get another one later…

The bell rang as the door opened and Carmen snapped to attention, putting the wand back and saying, "Welcome to Wands and Things! How may- Oh, it's you."

Ginny smiled. "Just me, huh? You know, I can buy things too."

Carmen smiled back. "Alright, then are you going to buy something?"

Ginny shrugged and picked up a round silver thing from the shelf. "I haven't got much money, you know? What's this?"

"CD player. Charmed muggle music player. So what're you here for?"

Ginny inspected the object for a moment. "Does Dad know you've got this stuff?"

"Don't tell him, please. He'll put me out of business. What's up?"

Ginny shrugged again. "I was bored. Thought you could use some company. What happened here?"

"I was playing with a wand and I accidentally melted it. Can you hand it here? I've got to throw it away."

Ginny handed over the melted green blob and smiled. "So how's married life?"

Carmen beamed. "Amazing."

Ginny grinned. "Am I going to have lots of little nieces and nephews?"

Carmen blushed. "What kind of question is that?"  
"I was just wondering."

"Well, I don't know."

"What? Afraid George doesn't want kids?"

Carmen shook her head. "No, he loved having a big family. He wants lots of kids."

Ginny cocked her head. "So what is it then?"

Carmen scratched at the counter. "I'm scared."

"Of kids? You love Mathis!"

"Not of the kids themselves! Of… of having them… It's going to… It's going to hurt… And I don't know what George would say about adopting. That's what I want to do. I want to adopt."

Ginny smiled. "I think you should talk to him. He deserves to know, doesn't he?"

Carmen sighed. "I suppose. So can we talk about something else? This is weird."

"So how does this thing work?" Ginny asked instantly, picking up the CD player again.

* * *

Carmen paced outside of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes as she waited for George to finish closing. 

As she reached the end of one length of the store, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, scaring her and making her scream.

"George!"

"Hello, Love. Home?"

"Home."

With one loud crack, they both disappeared.

"So what do you want for dinner?" George asked after a moment of silence.

Carmen took a deep breath and burst, "George, do you want kids?"

George looked taken aback for a moment. "You know I do. Don't you?"

Carmen bit her lip. "I- I want them, but… I just…"

"Look, we don't have to discuss it now. We're in our second week of marriage. It can wa-"

"I'm scared!" Carmen shouted.

George jumped. "Of what?"

Carmen blushed. "Well, you know… It's… Babies are kind of big…"

"No they aren't. They're little."

"Well, they're too big for… I mean the… Have you ever tried to push a coconut through a… a… a… They're too big, George! I don't want to do it!"

A crestfallen look came over him. "But… but I really wanted a family with you…"

Carmen sighed. "You get the easy part, George. I have to do the work, you know?"

"But… You don't even want one?"

"Of course I do! I want to adopt one! More than one! Three! Whatever!"

George tried to smile. "Alright. That's fine."

Carmen sighed as George went into the kitchen, then turned and smacked her head on the wall.

* * *

"So what's the problem?" Fred asked. "So adopt some kids." 

George shook his head. "No, Fred, you don't get it! I want there to be something of both of us! I want a kid with Carmen, not a kid that Carmen and I have got! I want it to be ours!"

Fred sighed. "Well, I really don't think that you're going to change her mind. She had good reason, you know?"

George glared art Fred. "So? I thought all girls wanted kids! Why is she the only girl ever that doesn't want kids!"

"There are other girls that don't want kids," Verity said as a customer walked away from her. "I don't want kids."

"But I really, really do! I can't believe this!"

"What?" Fred asked.

"I wish I'd known that she didn't want them."

Fred looked taken aback for a moment. "Why? What does it matter?"

George shook his head. "I just wish I'd known."

"Uh oh," Verity said, staring at the front of the store. There in the entrance was a shocked, hurt looking Carmen and a very, very angry Ash and Allyssa.

"Love-"

Carmen huffed and grabbed the nearest object to her, which was a box of daydream charms, and threw it at him, hitting him hard in the shoulder with its corner. She opened her mouth to yell at him, but couldn't seem to bring anything out.

"Carmen, listen," George began, starting toward her, "I don't-"

"If you had known," Carmen interrupted, "would you still have married me?"

"Of course! I love you! I just wish I had known."

Carmen pushed him back, hard. "Then what difference does it make whether I want to have kids or not? It shouldn't matter!"

George looked at the ground. "I know, Love. It's not as though I'm going to try to force you to have kids. I know I can't do that to you. I just wish I had known before I had gotten really excited about having a family with you."

Carmen closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't have kids, George. I just can't do it."

George kissed her forehead.

* * *

Sorry. I just wanted to get a new chap up. Caramel told me it was to soon for kids and this was all I could come up with. I've got a later chapter all planned out, but I don't know what I'm going to do next… hmmm… Anyone want to help? Give me ideas? Loan me their inspiration fairy? 

Also, how come no one said anything about the inspiration fairy being a muse in a costume or something? I was surprised no one made fun of me…

Well, there's that chap, kids. I know it's not great, but I' trying to get to the later chapter and I don't know what it's like to be married, so it's hard.

If you leave me a review, I'll give you TACOS! But if you leave me ideas, I'll give you a sopapia too! (I love those… -drool-)


	20. Shceme 20: The Yule Ball

Okay, I know they're all married and stuff, but I didn't feel like moving forward again. I felt like moving way, way backwards.

I'm not even sure this one is gonna get posted.

I felt like writing a Yule Ball chap, so whether facts contradict this or not, I'm writing it. Actually, the facts aren't really going to be contradicting this at all are they? Er… the first time he met her, I just decided was during her third year. Well, not so much met, but he saw her. But she likes him. Because she just does. Because I want it that way… Shut up…

Diclaimer: I wish.

* * *

George straightened his robes and thanked God that he'd gotten a summer job. Wearing those nasty old robes like Ron would have been humiliating.

"Hey, Fred?"

"Yeah, George?"

"Um… I kind of don't… I mean… I know that… What if Carmen went with some other guy?"

Fred rolled his eyes. "Not this again. Come on, George. You know full well that she and her Ravenclaw friend aren't going with anyone."

"But what if they found last minute dates? I mean, I don't want to see her with some pretty boy from Beauxbatons."

"Then you should have pulled your head out of you butt and asked her yourself. I'm not having this conversation with you again. Lee! Hurry up!"

George tugged at his jacket. He really wanted to ask her, but he just couldn't. He had entertained the possibility of asking Fred to ask her for him, but he wanted to do it himself if he was going to do it.

"Alright, George, come on. It's time to head down," Fred said.

Lee threw his arm around George. "Don't worry, mate, you can ask her to dance if you want. I'm sure she'll say yes."

George nodded and tried to be optimistic. He really tried.

But with his past record of actually making an exchange of words with Carmen, he wasn't sure a dance was a good idea.

You see, it wasn't that Carmen was strikingly beautiful or first in her class or anything. There was just a spark about her that made her glow all the time and George found that the spark made it impossible to form whole words. Once he had made a gagging sound in her general direction, but he was glad to say that she didn't hear it.

George followed his brother and his best friend out into the Great Hall and waited for the doors to open.

They waited. And waited. And waited.

George looked around the crowd for Carmen, but he couldn't find her. He considered going back and borrowing the map from Harry without telling him, but there wasn't time. By the time George had made up his mind to go get it, the doors were opening for the champions to go in.

George strode in behind all the other students and looked over their heads for one last try at finding Carmen.

He found her sitting at a table with Ash, Allyssa, and a Beauxbatons boy. Carmen sighed heavily as she watched the champions dance, heavily enough that George could see it from across the Hall. She was wearing pretty, flowing, red robes with long, flared sleeves. Her face was contorted into comically puckered lips and one eye stretched sideways by her hand holding her head up.

Allyssa reprimanded her and slapped her hand and she whined something back, assumably fighting with her best friend about being bored.

George started to stand up, deciding it would, in fact, be a good idea to ask Carmen to dance, then changed his mind just as quickly. Again, he didn't think he could talk to her that long.

The moment the formal dancing had finished, Ash and Carmen were on their feet, heading to the stage where the Weird Sisters were.

George stood up. Maybe he didn't need to talk…

* * *

Carmen was jamming.

Her hair was already a mess and sweat was running down her face. She was sure her makeup had been ruined long ago.

She didn't care though. There was nothing like live music.

The crowd pressed forward, into her, since she was close to the front, and she fell forward into the convenient separation in the crowd.

A hand reached around her waist and pulled her up quickly, pressing her into the person behind her.

Carmen, being who she was, smacked the hand hard to make it let go and whipped around to see who caught her, but there was no one there.

Well, obviously, there were people there, just not anyone who was paying any attention to her.

Confused, Carmen turned back around and tried to enjoy the music again, but she was too irked to enjoy herself now. Maybe she would just go find some where to sit and have a drink…

* * *

George mentally kicked himself as Carmen edged out of the crowd. He hadn't meant to even touch her to begin with; he had simply wanted to keep her from falling. Had he not pulled her back to him, she probably wouldn't have even thought anything of it. She may have even turned around and thanked him. And they would have talked. And George may have even been able to form words.

Damn.

George plopped down at a table not far away from Carmen's and sat back, insanely angry with himself.

As he watched, a moderately handsome Durmstrang boy with buzzed black hair, sharp features, and dark eyes strode up to her and offered her his hand, saying something low in his thick Bulgarian accent.

Carmen smiled slightly and put her hand in his, letting him lead her out to the dance floor.

George frowned harder. He needed to step up his game. If that foreign weirdo could do it, so could he! When Carmen sat back down, he would ask her to dance!

But Carmen never did sit back down. She continued to dance, long after the Durmstrang boy had gone to sit with his friends.

George never did get his chance

* * *

Carmen stopped dancing for a moment and looked to the table in the corner, harboring the one person she really wanted to dance with. He was searching the crowd, looking for someone.

She wished he were looking for her.

Carmen forced herself to look away and tried not to think about it. She wished she could tell Ash and Allyssa, but she was afraid that as soon as she told them, she'd change her mind and then she wouldn't want to seem fickle, so she'd just spend a month or so pretending she liked him and she'd have to put up with Allyssa and Ash picking on her. It just wasn't worth the trouble.

Carmen focused on the music, letting it flow through her. She imagined that George was dancing with her, that he had been the one that had held her earlier.

But that was silly. Why would he ever do that?

* * *

George watched Carmen dancing with her eyes closed, not caring about who she bumped into. He imagined himself dancing with her, that she had taken his hand when he had held her.

George stood up and headed out to the dance floor to try dancing with her without her knowledge again. He had to try again. Otherwise he would lose out to sharp-looking Bulgarian boys forever…

Carmen noticed the Bulgarian boy, Krastio, come back to dance with her. He danced too close and didn't quite put his hands in the right place. They were right in the middle of her stomach, obviously meaning to be a sensuous sort of touch, but they were too low and too high to be attractive. They were just awkward.

She tried to remember why she had agreed to dance with him, coming to the conclusion that it was the voice as he started to sing along to the music lowly in her ear. It sort of made her melt, as accents always did.

It would have been better if it had been…

NO! Carmen forced him out of her mind and tried to focus on the hands laced awkwardly around her, resting on her stomach.

Why were his hands laced around her? Why was he dancing too close? No one had ever looked sideways at her. Why would this random guy treat her this way?

Carmen wanted to pull his hands away, they felt so odd in their place, and go out to the grounds. Allyssa had told her they had looked beautiful all decorated…

Krastio's arms pulled her backward, tugging her out of the crowd. She wondered what he was doing for a moment, but quickly realized that he wanted to take her outside. While that had been what she'd wanted, she didn't want to have to be alone with him. Panicking, she searched for someone to save her, but found no one.

Krastio kept pulling and Carmen gave up, allowing him to take her outside.

Away from the lights, the shadows made him look somewhat terrifying with sharp, fierce shadows thrown across his face. But when he spoke, his voice was soft and if Carmen closed her eyes, she could imagine that she liked him.

"I haff seen you around the school, Carmen. I very much like you."

Carmen furrowed her brow. She must not have paid much attention, since she didn't remember seeing him ever before. "You've seen me?"

She assumed he nodded, but her eyes were still closed and he didn't answer out loud.

"Where?"

"In the Great Hall, on the grounds," he replied. Krastio picked up her hand and turned it over. "I very much like you."

Carmen let him turn her hand over and over until he pulled it up to his face and to his lips.

At that, she pulled it away. She opened her eyes. Krastio's face was entirely in shadow now, making him look sad and sweet. "Sorry, Krastio. I don't know you. I can't tell you the same thing."

Krastio nodded. "Vill you stay out here with me? We may learn to know one another?"

Carmen sighed and looked back toward the Hall. George was standing in the doorway, looking out over the grounds.

Carmen nodded and closed her eyes again. She was getting kind of tired and she just didn't feel like dancing. It was cold outside, but Carmen liked it that way. She sat down on the bench right beside them and leaned back on the barrier. Krastio took her hand in his again, turning it over and over in his own.

* * *

George glared jealously at the Bulgarian. He wanted to be in that spot.

At least he could take comfort in the fact that Carmen didn't seem to like him much anyway.

The Bulgarian traced his finger all over Carmen's arms and hands. George wondered why she was letting him do all of this, until he reached her hand up, like before to his lips. She didn't even budge. Her breathing was deep and even. She was asleep.

George charged up, now sure that she was dead to the world as the Bulgarian had kissed her arm all the way up to her elbow. "Excuse me, what in bloody Hell are you doing?" he demanded.

The boy looked up at him and the light cast frightening shadows across his face. "It is none of your business," he replied, his voice colder than the air around him.

George felt the heat rise in his face. "Carmen, are you awake?"

"Mngn…"

George tugged Carmen's hand from Krastio's grip and glared at him. "You are going to leave her well alone, understood?"

The boy stood, taller than George, and fumed, "And who are you to say such things?"

George took a step closer to the boy. "It doesn't matter who I am. I am looking out for Carmen and you were out of line. You're getting punished. You don't get to share her company anymore, clear?"

The Bulgarian took another step. "You haff no right to say who she can share her company vith."

George narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that, wo–"

"A_hem_." Allyssa said from the doorway.

She and Ash were standing there, staring at the two boys.

"What is going on here?" Ash asked conversationally.

"He was… he was… he was _molesting_ her!"

"Vat does this vord mean? Molesting? Vat does it mean? I did no such thing! Vat does it mean?"

"Well, either way, you don't need to be all up on Carmen like you've been," Ash insisted. "Please keep your distance. Meanwhile, Weasley, what are you even doing? Do you even know her?"

"Er- no. I just- she was- he- kissing- Never mind."

* * *

Okay, I know it's short, but seriously. I needed to get a chap up. Aren't you all happy?

And everyone review and wish me a happy birthday! It's in a couple of days!


	21. Scheme 21: Fred And Ash

Hey guys. Sorry this update took soooooo long! I've just had a TON of freaking homework which I totally blew off tonight because I was feeling sick. I've got a few more chaps that I'm still working on, so don't give up on me!

This chap isn't even really about Carmen and George. Actually, George is barely in it…

Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW ME!

Disclaimer: You should really know this by now… seriously…

* * *

Fred burst into yet another Weasley residence. "Carmen, I need you to come on a date with me."

Carmen raised an eyebrow. "Uh, I'm kind of married to your brother. It's not really acceptable for us to do that."

"No, he's got to come too."

"Oh well, in that case!" Carmen rolled her eyes. "Come on, Fred, what are you talking about?"

Fred fiddled with his robes for a moment. "I want to go on a double date."

"Okay."

"With Ash."

She grinned and shrugged. "Alright. Go ask her. We'll go."

"I can't"

Carmen looked confused. "Why not?"

Fred fumbled with his robed again. "Do you think she'd say yes?"

Carmen shrugged again. "Probably. I dunno."

"Can't you just ask her if she wants to come with us to… to… anywhere?"

Carmen shook her head. "Nope. You do it."

Fred groaned. "Pleeease, Carmen?"

"No."

"Pleeeease?"

"No."

Fred tried giving her the look George used to get his way sometimes.

"No."

Fred sighed again. If he wanted to go on a date with Ash, he'd just have to ask her himself.

"Oh, and don't tell Ash."

Carmen pretended to lock her lips and throw away the key.

* * *

Ash bent to take her shot and aimed carefully, drawing back a few times before she snapped the queue forward.

"Shark!" Allen yelled, making her fumble and skew the shot.

She spun on him and smacked him hard.

"I told you not to play with him," Carmen said, watching Allen chalk up his queue. "I told you he cheated."

Ash narrowed her eyes and waited. "Miss!" she yelled as he took his own turn.

He didn't even flinch.

"Do you ever listen to anything I tell you?" Carmen asked, annoyed.

On the other hand, he did scratch.

Fred opened the door to the hall.

"We're closed!" Ash yelled, not looking up from her studying of the table.

"It's me," Fred said.

Carmen tossed him a reassuring, yet still smug, smile and nodded toward her.

Ash still didn't look up. "Hi."

Fred looked nervous. Carmen was starting to think there must be something wrong with herself and Ash. Why were they the only ones the Weasley twins had ever been nervous toward?

He gave Carmen an anxious glance and she nodded him toward her concentrated friend.

"Hey, Ash–"

"Wait," she commanded. She pointed her wand at Allen and bent to take her shot. As she shot, Allen moved his mouth to yell, but there was no sound.

Her shot went straight in.

Ash gave Allen his voice back and turned to Fred, ignoring Allen's claims that she cheated and Carmen getting up to argue that he was the one cheating.

Fred started to work up to his question, but the sounds of the two siblings filled the Pool Hall, drowning out Fred's words.

Annoyed that she couldn't hear him, Ash held up a finger and magically put up a barrier to the fighting.

"What was that?" she asked politely.

Fred's face tinted red and he started over. "Well, George and I got these tickets to a Weird Sisters concert and he was going to take Carmen and I thought it sounded like something you'd like and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?"

Ash nodded. "Sounds cool. Wouldn't want you to be a third wheel. I can probably go if you can't find someone else. When is it?"

Fred blinked, confused. "Uh, that's not really the – Never mind. It's next weekend, Friday night. Can you go?"

Ash nodded. "I'll get Jonathan to watch the hall. Are you sure you don't have a girl you'd like to ask? I don't have to go."

Fred's face turned redder. "Um, I really wanted to take you, Ash. I bought the tickets with you in mind."

Ash blinked blankly. "Oh. Well, okay. I'll be there. Definitely. I'll meet you at Carmen and George's?"

Fred nodded. "Sounds good."

Ash smiled brightly and turned back to Carmen and Allen to break them up.

* * *

"So you really think he likes me?" Ash asked, laying across her bed and looking at Carmen, who was writing in a notebook.

"Yes, Ash, I do."

"But what if I'm making something out of nothing. I always do that. What if he just thought I'd like the concert?"

"No, I'm pretty sure about this one. He likes you."

"But–"

"What are we, 15? Come on, let's do grown up things!"

"Like what?"

Carmen stared at the wall for a moment. "Anyway, I'm sure he likes you. Positive, in fact."

Ash groaned. "I still think we could be making a big something out of a little nothing!"

Carmen raised her eyebrow. "Much Ado About Nothing?"

Ash tapped her chin and wondered, "I wonder if we could get stuffed animals to act out that play?"

Carmen grinned and grabbed her wand. "Let's find out."_ (A/N: Randomness, I know...)_

* * *

Fred came home with George from work and borrowed his brother's robes for the concert.

"Carmen, what's Ash's favorite color?"

Carmen shrugged and replied, "She doesn't have one. She likes purple, I think."

Fred looked through George's wardrobe. "George, why don't you have anything purple?"

"Because I don't wear purple."

"Yes you do," Carmen corrected. "When we go out, you wear a purple shirt with your suit."

George's face burned. "It's _plum_."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Honey, that's still a shade of purple."

Fred groaned and pulled a set of robes out of the closet.

Carmen turned around and swished her wand over them, transfiguring them quickly into a dark purple.

"Thank you Carmen! Thank you!"

Carmen shrugged again and went back to her closet.

* * *

When Ash arrived, she was wearing a black Weird Sisters shirt and a pair of dark jeans rather than robes.

"I _told_ you she would too! Fred thought I'd be the only person there in muggle clothes."

Ash grinned at her. "You look hot, though!"

Carmen blushed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"I have to agree, Love," George said, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist. "I do like these muggles clothes quite a bit. What is this one called again?" He tugged on the strap of her shirt.

"It's a spaghetti strap, and – You leave that there! – and I think we should go now."

"Off we are then."

"Uh, where are we going again?" Ash asked.

"Oh, why don't you side apparate with Fred? I'm doing the same with George. I don't know the place either. We'll meet you there?"

Fred and Ash nodded while George wrapped his arms more firmly around Carmen and they disapparated with a loud crack.

Fred stood there awkwardly for a moment.

Ash did the same.

"So, uh, I guess I should, uh, take your hand then?"

"Yeah," Ash agreed, grasping Fred's hand.

Carmen's words went through Fred's head again. _"You're going to have to make the first move, she's kind of thick sometimes. She hasn't even caught on that you really like her yet."_

Fred laced his fingers through Ash's and smiled at her, then disapparated to the concert.

* * *

When Fred and Ash returned to Carmen and George's house, there was no one there. They were sure they had seen Carmen and George leave… where were they?

Fred cleared his throat and Ash felt a bit of heat creep up her face. Carmen did this on purpose… she could feel it.

Fred turned to Ash and looked at her for a second, then looked away and cleared his throat again.

"Er… so… you… um…"

Ash's face was burning. She was alone in the dark with Fred! This had never meant anything before, but now it seemed to hold a lot of meaning that she wished she had never noticed.

Suddenly, Fred grabbed Ash by the shoulders and yanked her around to face him.

"Fred, what are you doing?"

Fred's face was redder than his hair.

Somehow, Ash thought that if it had been George here before her, she would have known the difference, just by looking…

He took a sudden deep breath and bent over quickly in a move that Ash thought was going to be a kiss...

"OW!" Ash yelled.

Fred had mismeasured the distance and their heads had collided.

Hard.

"Sorry! Sorry! Ash, are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, my head just… oww…" Ash broke away from Fred and went into the kitchen to take some of Carmen's painkillers.

"Ash, I'm so sorry! Really! Are you sure you're all right?"

Ash looked up at Fred's worried face, her hand held to her forehead, and smiled. "I'm sure."

With that, she grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down to her lips.

Fred relaxed into the kiss quickly and took hold of Ash around the waist.

* * *

Now please press that button down there and open the window that will allow you to tell me what you thought of this chapter, which will serve as your magical ticket to the amazing and wonderful land of TACOS!

Enjoy.


	22. Scheme 22: Employment

Okay guys. I am totally lowing off ALL my homework for this chap, btw… This chap was a bit rushed because I've got OVER 10000 HITS! That's right, Scheming Minds has exceeded all expectations and I really wanted to get out a new chap for you guys. These hits are literally all up to you guys. I can't make you read this and I want to thank you guys for this SO MUCH! I LOVE YOU ALL! KEEP READING!

**Disclaimer**: I know it's not mine, but this freaking feels like my own story. I love this.

* * *

Carmen bounced into her house. 

George held out his arms. "Hey, Love, what's going on?" he asked.

She grinned even bigger and began to dance with him. "You know how I've been waiting for a response from Mariella Fimbledon's Mixed Muggle and Magical Zoo?"

George returned her grin. "Yes…"

"Well… they owled me today and they want an interview!" she practically squealed the last bit and jumped onto her husband.

He spun her around in his arms. "That's amazing, Love! When?"

"Tomorrow at 2!"

George threw her onto the couch and pinned her to the back, kissing her fiercely. "I love you, Carmen Weasley."

Carmen shivered in happiness. "I love hearing you say that…"

He whispered her name in her ear again and placed a kiss on her neck carefully.

Carmen's stomach made a funny gurgley noise. "George, I love you, but I'm hungry and we can do this later, right?"

George sighed and backed off. "So what position are you applying for?" he asked as he headed to the dining room.

"Well, I want to be a caretaker, so I'll have to take another set of classes, but I don't think it'll be a problem. I had really good marks in Care of Magical Creatures."

George kissed her again. "You were amazing in that class."

Carmen frowned. "I haven't forgotten what you did, mister! I swear, George Weasley, if you ever make a repeat performance, I will- I'll uh… jinx you or something. I dunno. I'm hungry. Let's eat."

* * *

Carmen took a deep, careful breath and went through the gates of Fimbledon's. She looked over her letter again. She was to go to the polar bear exhibit, turn left, and head straight down that walkway without turning. 

She found the polar bears soon enough and took her left. There were a lot of turns down the way and a ton of exhibits, but Carmen just kept going straight, just like the letter said.

Until she met with the wall.

On the wall was a brass plate that said "Margorie Fimbledon, owner and CEO." She looked around. There was a pathway to each side, but they were full of exhibits.

Carmen touched the wall and her hand went through as if it were passing through goo. She took a deep breath and walked through the goo wall.

"Ah, good, you're here."

Carmen opened her eyes and looked up at the woman. She was a long, thin woman with black hair shot with grey and hard, dark brown eyes behind stern horn-rimmed glasses.

"Ms. Fimbledon?"

"Yes, that's me. I'm pleased you could make it, Ms. Weasley,-"

"Mrs. Weasley. I'm married."

The woman looked at her over her glasses sternly. "Yes, that's fascinating, _Ms_. Weasley. Now-"

Carmen narrowed her eyes. "Ma'am, my name is Mrs. Carmen Weasley, and if I'm going to work under you, I'd like you to call me either MRS. Weasley or Carmen. Yeah?"

The woman behind the desk narrowed her eyes further and crossed her arms. "Young lady-"

A door behind the desk opened and an aging round woman poked around the corner. "Midgey, is that- Oh! Mrs. Weasley! You're here, come in, come in."

Carmen was freaking shocked. "What?"

"Come in! I'm Marge Fimbledon, owner and CEO of this magnificent zoo. I've been waiting for you."

"But I thought that she- She's not- Then who's that?"

"Oh, this is my daughter, Midge Fimbledon. She's my assistant."

Carmen's jaw fell.

"Now, come into my office, dear, I'd like to have a talk with you."

Carmen shirked around Midge's desk and went through the door to Marge Fimbledon's office.

"Um, I don't mean to be rude, but do owner and CEO's usually take care of hiring?"

"Well, no, but I want this place to be run the way I want it run and the best way I can think of to do that is to take care of the hiring of the people who are going to help me run it."

Carmen nodded, smiling. She liked this woman.

"Now, I picked up your application the other day and I really feel that you could do well here at Fimbledon's. Now you understand that if you're accepted here, you'll have to go through two month's of training before you're an official keeper?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And that once you are a keeper, you will have opportunity for pay raises, but there will be no advancement?"

"Yes."

"Right, so I see you had top marks in Care of Magical Creatures. Was that one of your favorite classes?"

"No."

Marge raised an eyebrow.

"It _was_ my favorite. I wanted to be a Care of Magical Creatures teacher, but… I just don't know. This seems like something I could really spend my life doing."

"Tell me more about why you changed your mind about teaching."

Carmen blushed. "Well, to tell you truth, I got married and I just don't think I could take being away from him that long. I'd be gone for most of the year and I really think I may go crazy if I had to be away from him for that long."

Marge smiled. "Newlywed?"

Carmen blushed further. "Obvious?"

"Very. How long?"

"Six months."

Marge nodded, then sat back and thought for a moment. "Well, now, just curious, what are your two favorite animals?"

Carmen sighed and sat back a bit. "Hmm… I suppose that'd have to be panda bears and dragons."

"The dangerous ones, then? I see." Marge took a few notes. "What are your least favorites then?"

"Poultry of any sort that has not been cooked and gross bugs and stuff. Some bugs just get to me, y'know?"

She took some more notes. "And your parents are…?"

Carmen tiled her head, confused. "Human?"

"Oh, no dear, I just want to know if they were… ah… muggles or wizards?" She whispered the question and looked hopeful that Carmen wouldn't be too offended.

"Oh, I'm a mudblood. They were muggles."

Marge raised an eyebrow. "Did you just cal yourself a mudblood?"

"Yes. It doesn't bother me. Long story."

Marge smiled again. "Well, I'd like to see you practically with some of the animals. Shall we?"

* * *

Carmen took a tentative step forward. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes, dear, now just go on."

She looked back toward the pen. She hated chickens.

Especially ones that breathed fire…

"I really have to do this?"

"This is part of your interview. I need to know that you will do whatever has to be done."

Carmen whimpered a bit and took another step forward. All she had to do was get the stupid thing into the box… into the box… into the box…

She was panicking. Chickens were evil. She knew she wasn't thinking quite clearly, but didn't know how to get a hold of herself. She didn't know what to do!

One of the keepers nearby coughed and it sounded mysteriously like the word "magic."

Carmen looked up to see him whistling and sweeping out the cage next door and Marge giving him a reproachful, but playful look.

She pulled out her wand with a grin. "Stupefy!" The chicken fell like a rock and Carmen picked it up and put it into the box.

"Well done, Carmen, even if you did have a bit of help. And I'll be speaking to you about that later, Jeremy."

The young guy turned around, laughing. "Oh, come on, Marge! She's never gonna be alone anyway!"

Marge laughed good-naturedly. "Later, Jeremy! Later! Anyway, I'll have to get back to you on this, Carmen. I'll owl you within the week, alright?"

"That would be amazing, Marge. Thank you so much!"

Jeremy waved. "See you around."

"See you!"

* * *

Carmen picked at her food. 

"What's the matter, Love?" George asked, upset with Carmen's being upset.

"The last day is tomorrow… she hasn't owled…"

George sat up to her and grabbed her hands. "Oh, Love, you have a good job and you were happy before Fimbledon's and you'll be happy after. Won't you?"

Carmen looked up at George and nodded, still pouty.

There was a crack outside the door and a knock.

George stood and kissed his wife's forehead, then went to answer the door.

"Hello, who are you?" he asked.

"Oh, hi, I'm Jeremy. I'm from Fimbledon's. Is Carmen home?"

"Yeah, hold on. Love! A man named Jeremy is here. He's from Fimb-"

"Jeremy? You're one of the keepers, right?"

"Yeah. Hey. Uh, you know how you kind of didn't get along with Midge?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, she's in charge of posting things and when you pissed her off, she decided she didn't want you to work there, so Marge sent me so that you wouldn't freak out because if we mailed it today, you wouldn't get it till, like, tomorrow. So yeah, you got the job."

"I what?"

"You work at Fimbledon's now. You're a zookeeper."

"OH MY GARBAGE!" Carmen threw herself on Jeremy. "THANK YOOOOU! Okay now go away."

"What?"

"We have to celebrate."

"What?"

George grinned and winked at him before shutting the door in his face.

* * *

Oh my. George is being naughty again! Omg. Lol. Yes children, I got over 10000 hit. Now wouldn't it be marvelous if I could get over 150 reviews? And again, I can't do that without you guys! So review! REVIEW! 

Oh, you didn't think I'd allow you to get away without my thanks, did you? No, silly! Take a taco! Go on! Have two! Over 10000 hits! –dies of happiness—

(Sorry it's short…)


	23. Scheme 23: Family Scheme, First Child

Thanks so much to **Ryanrene97** for that AMAZING review and for inspiring me to write in this story again! This is about the 5th or 6th draft of this chapter, trying to get it right, and after that wonderful review and a few years of helpful college workshops, I finally churned out something readable! Woohoo! Hope you all love it so very much!

Disclaimer: I make no monies from this. I is poor.

* * *

When George came home from work, Carmen was sitting on the sofa, hands clasped and looking tense. Immediately, he set himself on the defensive. "What's wrong, Carmen?"

She looked up at him slowly, eyes a bit teary and sat back with a sigh. "The hippocampus at work is pregnant," she said quietly.

George approached cautiously. "Is that dangerous?"

She laughed mirthlessly. "No. No, of course not. It's just… I still don't think I want to have children myself, I don't want to go through the pregnancy or… anything… I just…" She looked up at George and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I want… I think I need to be a mother too."

George crossed the room in two steps and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Love, there are other ways. If you want to have kids, if you want to raise children, then we _will_. There are plenty of kids out there without parents already, just like Harry was." He pulled back from her and held her face, looking into her eyes. "We could take one of them in, adopt. Is that what you want?"

Carmen nodded, the tears flowing freely down her face now.

George nodded in response and kissed her forehead. "Then we will."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight for a few moments, then, voice now nearly free of tears, she said, "Y'know, we could… do a trial run… In case we ever need to, uh, make one of our own…"

George grinned and picked his wife up, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Just in case?"

"Just in case."

* * *

It had been six weeks since the couple had made the decision that had brought them to St. Elvendork's Home for Magical Orphans. They now stood outside, having filled out mountains of paperwork even to get in and look around, and waited to be able to see the children. They still hadn't decided on gender, age, or anything really. Carmen seemed to think that it wouldn't be fair to go in with a list of what you wanted in a child. She said she needed to _feel_ it.

They also were still looking for a bigger apartment. George was insisting that if they were going to start a family they needed a house, but Carmen wasn't sure she was ready to move out into the country. Little did she know, George was already bidding on a house near a river, a clear stream cutting right through the property with four rooms. He didn't know how many they would need later down the road, but he rather liked the house anyway.

George grasped Carmen's hand. "We're finally heading in. Are you ready?"

She nodded, eyes sparkling just a bit. "I am ready, George."

Their first steps into the orphanage were met with loud, shrill, children's laughter and a baby crying.

A woman came and met them at the door. "Welcome to St. Elvendork's! I'm Henrietta. You must be the Weasley's."

They nodded and George gripped Carmen's hand harder. "We are. We've filled out quite a bit of paperwork. What do we do next?"

Harriet smiled wider at them. "Now you meet the children. Here at St. Elvendork's, we allow families to go and speak with the children and play with them for a few hours to get a feel for who they would like to consider taking home. If you and your wife would like to head right on in, you may. This room here is children between two and four. This one is children between five and seven. That one is eight to ten. You'll have to go upstairs for the teenagers and preteens are outside right now. You've come at the perfect time. It's the play hour right now."

Carmen smiled at her and thanked her, then practically drug George into the first room. Inside were 15 or 20 children, all of them playing happily. George scanned the room, unsure of what to do. Was he just supposed to sit down and start playing, just like that?

Carmen wasted not a moment. Her hand slipped out of George's and she knelt beside a group of children playing with simple wooden toys. Most of them were winged and had been charmed to have moving limbs and wings. Carmen picked up a big dragon and started playing right alongside them. He smiled and went to stand by his wife. It seemed silly to separate from her now. Who knows what kind of trouble she would end up in.

"Yes, really! I feed her every few days."

They all laughed and smiled at her, one of the older ones pointing at the dragon. "Whaser name?"

"Frieda. She's my favorite animal at the zoo. Have you guys ever been to the zoo?"

The kids erupted into shouts, all wanting to tell her about the last trip to the zoo they'd taken.

George sat down beside his wife and picked up one of the toys, a hippocampus. As they other kids talked, one little boy, about two, with black hair and big blue eyes, toddled over to him. He plopped down in front of him and took the toy. "Hey," George laughed, reaching playfully to take it back.

The boy giggled and pulled it away. "No, I show." He moved the toy up and down, as though it were swimming through the waves, and it's legs and tail began to move. "Hipcam," he said, handing it back to George.

"Yeah, it's a hippocampus. Thank you for showing me how to play with it." He moved the toy to show him he had been paying attention. "What's your name?"

"Eric," he said, picking up a winged horse toy. "I this many." He held up two fingers and what George thought was half of another.

"Two and a half? Well aren't you big? My name is George."

"George," he repeated, making the horse fly. "Horse," he said.

"Yeah, you like horses?"

Eric nodded enthusiastically and stood up, running over to one of the toy bins and bringing back another two horse toys, one of them with enormous wings and one without, just a regular horse. "Horses!" he said happily, handing one to George.

George nudged Carmen and she looked over, grinning at him. "Whatcha got there?" she asked.

"Horses. Wanna play? This is Eric."

She shifted, letting the children she had been talking to go back to playing what was turning into zoo. "Eric, huh? Hi, Eric, I'm Carmen. How old are you?"

He held up the fingers again and Carmen laughed. "Two and a half? Well you're practically a man now, aren't you!"

Eric giggled and handed her the hippocampus. "Hipcamp."

"A hippocampus? For me? Thank you, sir!"

For the next hour and a half, Carmen played horses with Eric, and shared juice with him at snack time, listening to him babble incomprehensibly as he learned to talk and took him on a journey to the bathroom once, a very big accomplishment for someone who was being potty trained.

Finally, with a long, heavy look shared between them as the children were called out to play outside, George smiled at his wife. They had found their son.

Carmen sent Eric outside with his friends and she and George went to talk with Henrietta once more.

"Eric, you said? Two and a half? He the one who loves horses, so much, isn't he?" she asked, looked a little distraught.

Carmen's smile faltered and George squeezed her hand. "What is it?" he asked.

Henrietta smiled. "It's just that he has a sister. St. Elvendork's never splits up siblings. Eric and Molly have been here for going on two years now because no one ever seems to want both of them, not to mention Molly isn't…. the most adoptable child."

Carmen sat forward. "What does that mean?" she asked quietly, a mixture of concern and confusion.

Henrietta sat back and waved her wand, two files flying out from the cabinet. She flipped the first open. "Molly is nine. She'll be going to Hogwarts in a few years. It's hard for children that old to be adopted anyway. She's got a few behavior issues, as well. Once, we had a new employee try to adopt her out without her brother. They were let go immediately, of course, but it was devastating for Molly. Now she's terrified of losing her brother and she's bound and determined to run off any family that takes even the slightest glance at her. If she'd known you had taken an interest in Eric, there would have been some accidental magic going off around you that would not have been pretty."

Carmen looked at her husband and one very loaded silence later, George asked, "May we meet Molly?"

Henrietta smiled again, but sadly this time. "Of course. Come with me."

Carmen and George followed the older woman out and to a room in the back that had been soundproofed. Two adults and four children sat inside quietly. When the door opened they had all looked up. One of the little girls had a bruise on her cheek and dirt in her messy hair. A boy across the room had a black eye and a busted lip along with plenty of scuff marks on his bare arms. The two adults were both pointing their wands at the children's faces, murmuring quiet healing spells.

"Molly, what are you doing in here _again_?" Henrietta sighed.

She looked down and away, keeping her hands in her lap.

Henrietta looked over to the boy. "Lucas?" her tone was warning.

"He said that they weren't real. He said that I never saw them and they weren't real," Molly mumbled.

"They're not!" the boy shouted at her.

Molly immediately shot up, leaping halfway over the table with arms outstretched to the boy, but George jumped forward and caught her around the waist.

She kicked and punched, trying to get free of his grasp. "They are! I saw them! I saw them when they died! I saw them!" she yelled, crying all the while.

Carmen stepped forward and put her hands on the girls face, cooing softly and shushing her quietly. "What's real, sweetie? What did you see?"

Molly's eyes locked with Carmen, huge and brown and crying, and she curled into a ball, pushing away from George.

Henrietta pulled Carmen and George out of the room. "When her parents died, thestrals came. They were out for a walk and Molly's parents were attacked, of all things, by a bear." Carmen's hands flew up to her mouth. "Molly's mother protected her and Eric, but she wasn't able to escape. There was quite a lot of blood and a pack of thestrals came. We don't know where from. They took her and her brother away from there, actually. We asked her not to scare the other children, but she still has bad dreams about the bear and she draws them all the time. They were her saviors. We think that's why Eric is so obsessed with horses…" Henrietta gave them a tight smile. "I told you, not the most adoptable child."

George glanced over at Carmen, tears sliding down her face and her hand over her mouth. "We'd like to speak with Molly, if that's okay," he told her.

Henrietta smiled tightly again. "If they're done healing her from her fight with Lucas, that's fine." She poked her head into the room again and asked if they would send Molly out. A moment later, the little girl emerged, fully healed and head down dejectedly. "Molly, this is George and Carmen Weasley," she told the girl softly. "They want to talk to you for a little while. They talked to Eric earlier-" Molly's head snapped up and she looked furious. "And they wanted to see if it would be okay to take you both home. They won't take you without him and they won't take him without you."

Carmen knelt down beside Molly. "That's right. We would never make you leave him. I promise. We just want to talk to you some, okay?"

Molly stared at her. "Why are you crying?" she asked.

Carmen put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Henrietta told me about the thestrals and why you can see them."

Her face drew up again angrily. "They _are_ real! I'm not-"

Carmen held up a hand. "I know."

George bent down as well. "We have a couple of very good friends who can see them too."

Molly relaxed and looked up at Henrietta. Henrietta smiled, for real for the first time since they'd asked about Eric, and said, "Come on, let's take you three somewhere so you can talk."

In the room they'd found, they talked about the thestrals and Molly told them about how they saved her and Eric, she showed them her pictures and told them about the people that had come to talk to her and how they hadn't wanted to take her with Eric and about the time she almost lost him. She told them about her aunt in Spain who didn't want them either and that she was the reason that they were at St. Elvendork's.

Then they told her about their friend Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, and how he had not only seen thestrals, but had ridden them too. And how there was a pair of them where Carmen worked.

They talked for nearly two hours and at the end of it, there was no question. Molly was their daughter, Eric was their son. All that was left for them to take them home.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading guys! I know I don't update very often, but to those of you who still come back each time I do, I commend you. Those who review, get a taco, but for this special, family filled chapter, you get a free hamburger just for reading all the way to the end! (Said hamburgers and tacos will arrive in 2-3 business internet nevers.)

ALSO kudos if you can tell me where I go the name Elvendork. (Hint: It's unisex!) Check the next chapter for the reveal of where in Harry Potter world it came from! You'll wanna know! And yes, pat two of this chapter shouldn't be too far behind...


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